Paranormal Sanctian
by Shugo Kairi Lin Fatewin
Summary: Kairi Kiyo Yoru Yomi Yami and Mizu have always dreamed of going to the Sanctuary together. Yoru has tried to get them all there. But when Kiyo vanishes from the Human World and Yoru leaves to find her Kairi is left devastated. Copyright 2012: I own this.
1. Preface

_**~Preface~**_

_ In the beginning, there were truly only two. But as danger increases, as do numbers. Now, things are worse than before. We have a total of six on our side; Yoru Tsukiyomi, Kiyo Rakugo, Kiyomi Aoyuuki, Mizu Aore, Yami Aki, and me, Kairi Lin. We strive to help each other, and keep our group together, but things are hard sometimes. Especially now._

Two years have passed since the beginning of our journey when Bara stalked us. I remember the day clearly that Yoru told us about Bara, and how she had come to life as a doll, instead of the true Demon she was. I remember the XIII Girls of Hades, and the problems they caused us. I remember both worlds, The Sanctuary and Paranormal World.

But now, I sit here at my window, tears washing down my face. Not too long ago, my best friend, Kiyo Rakugo, an untransformed Phoenix, went missing. No one in this world understood where she had gone, or what she would be doing.

But I did. I knew she had gone to the Sanctuary, a place all my friends know very well; a place that we've all dreamed of going to before, but never truly seen. That is, except for one of my friends.

Once a Demon, but now Human once again, Yoru Tsukiyomi, a girl I met in sixth grade and became best friends with, has the ability to go in and out of the Sanctuary at will. She has the ability to go physically, in her own body, or mentally, through her friend, Sayo's body.

Sayo is one of the many people we've met that reside in the Sanctuary. She looks exactly like Yoru, one of the many reasons she can use Sayo's body to go. They have a mental mind connection that allows them to swap bodies at any given moment.

Along with the Sanctuary comes the Paranormal World. Both worlds go hand in hand, and are total opposites. The Paranormal World is ruled by Ash, and Ash is Kiyo's soul mate. The Sanctuary is run by Elliot, a very evil, unfair tyrant.

The Sanctuary and the Paranormal World have been fighting for at least a year now. The Paranormal World is trying to free the Sanctuary of its cruel ruler. A reason why I know Kiyo is with Ash, meaning she is in the Paranormal World. Or maybe she's in the Sanctuary…I don't know…

But when Kiyo went missing, Yoru knew she had to go find her. Leaving us in the Human World, alone with Sayo, she left to find Kiyo. Kiyomi Aoyuuki, another close friend of mine that knows of the Sanctuary, has also been worried to death about the situation as well.

Time feels like it's running out, and I feel like I will never get to the Sanctuary...There is only one way I know of to get there, and that is to solve this riddle: "Your light reflects the Sanctuary; find the mirror piece."

Sadly, I was never one for solving confusing riddles that make no sense.

~As I've already said, I'm reuploading the whole Story again.~ Here's the Preface~!


	2. I'm Stuck Here

___**Chapter One: I'm Stuck Here~**_

I could _not_ stand it any longer. Yoru had gone off and left me in the Human World. She hadn't called me back, and Sayo told me she wasn't sure of her fate.

I couldn't sit here anymore, because I knew Kiyo was somewhere out there in either world, Paranormal or Sanctuary.

I felt a few tears fall down my cheeks from the thought of Yoru and Kiyo. What if something bad had happened to them? What would I do? It would be my entire fault!

I felt a sudden tug in my mind, and knew someone was entering.

_Kairi, my lady, you must not worry over your friends. Sitting in your bedroom won't help a thing, now will it? If you want to find your friends and protect them, look for the mirror shard. It's your only hope,_ the voice echoed through my head.

It was a boy's voice, and for some reason, it sounded very familiar in an unfamiliar way.

_Wait, who are you? _I asked, immediately. I knew not to trust anyone who randomly appeared in my mind.

_I am an ally. That, I can promise you. Now, go. The piece is behind your Grandfather's house. If you follow the river far enough, you will enter the Sanctuary. I'm not supposed to tell you of this, but I have to look after you._

I smiled to myself. "Thank you," I whispered. I jumped up, and ran to my closet. I pulled out my jeans Kiyo and I had bought while we were at the mall together, and the shirt Yoru had gotten me for my birthday.

I took my pajamas I had had on for so long off and quickly pulled my clothes on. I quickly ran to my door. I raced down the stair case and into the hall with the green rug. I sprinted into the kitchen and came to a complete stop.

Carol stood there, looking at me like I had green hair. "Kairi, are you alright?" Her voice was full of worry, because I didn't usually even make a sound. I never even left my room, and here I was, running down the stairs like I was ready to run the pacer (which, would never happen.)

"Yea, I'm just going to take a walk," I replied. She looked at me, still shocked by my random outburst.

"Alright, be back before it gets too late." Her voice had a hint of suspicion, but she didn't ask anything else. I slipped my flip-flops on.

"Of course," I said, and ran towards the door. I ran into the warm breezy afternoon air and the door shut behind me.

I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, and was soon in the forest, dashing past trees and through leaves. My mind raced with adrenaline and thoughts that I didn't even comprehend at the time. As I ran deeper into the forest, I began to feel strange. A familiar sense of being watched came over me. I slowed down, feeling a bit breathless. I stopped for a moment as a cool breeze picked up, causing me to shiver slightly.

I searched around the area that was darkened by the trees' canopies. "Hello?" I called, stupidly. There was no answer except for unseasonable chill in the air. I shivered again, and turned my head quickly. Immediately, I saw the white cloth in the patch of sunlight, flowing slightly in the now unnaturally cold breeze. A white, hooded figure stood, not even fifteen feet away from me. Some silvery hair poked out from under the hood, hiding the figures eyes. I could see a pair of spectacles on the figure's nose.

I could tell the figure was a male by his broad shoulders, and build. I couldn't tell if he was muscular or lean due to the loose, samurai-looking outfit. I could see a katana strapped to the belt of the Ronin outfit. I turned completely around, confusion momentarily clouding my reasoning of being in the middle of the now eerie woods behind my house. "You…" I breathed slightly, and realized why the figure seemed so familiar. Yoru, Kiyo, and I had seen him a lot before everything went downhill and Yoru lost her memories.

Before I could call out to him, he was gone with the blink of my eyes. I gasped in surprise, taken aback by the bazaar situation. I blinked a few times as the chill in the air and the strong presence faded away along with the strange sighting of the unknown man from our past. For a few moments, I could only stare at where the figure had just been. My conscious finally pulled me back to reality, and I found myself remembering Kiyo and Yoru were missing.

I shook my head, clearing the strange encounter from my head before I started a gentle jog down the now sloping forest floor. Soon, I was running again. I ran as fast as I could, and finally came upon the creek Kiyo and I used to play in.

I was winded again, but I knew I had to get through the creek so I could save my friends. I kicked my flip-flops off, pulled my jeans up, and stepped in the cool water.

I sighed happily as the water trickled through my toes. I walked up the creek, dodging rocks, fish, and frogs on my way. I waded through the water, trying to avoid water spiders like Kiyo and I used to.

After about an hour of walking, I stopped for a break, thinking I must have imagined the voice.

_I'm not a figment of your imagination. But, I must say, I'm not a very worthy person. _It was the voice from before.

_Wait, what do you mean? I don't understand,_ I thought.

_Your friend told you about me once. Before she forgot, of course._

I was confused, and then I faintly remember Yoru telling me about the Servants of the Alps. Before Yoru lost her memory, she was chosen as the master of a young boy named Archer Sypher. He was an Archer from the Alps, and chose Yoru to be his master because he was ordered to find one. This is because all Servants of the Alps must find a master so they can compete in the Joker Game. I gasped when it clicked.

_You're Lancer? Really? You're my servant? The one that Archer sent to find me!_

_ It's about time you realized who I was. Better late than never._

_ Do we, like, have to make a contract or anything?_

_ No, my lady. _He said, formally. _There is no time for formalities anymore._

I laughed. Thank heavens; I had a way to get to the Sanctuary.

_Fai. Is it okay if I call you Fai? _I asked suddenly. It surprised me. Where had that come from?

_Call me what you'd like, my lady. _Though, when he replied, he sounded very surprised. Almost upset…but now wasn't the time to question him about it.

_ Okay, so where do I go?_

_Continue following the creek, my lady. _I nodded and raced through the river, quickly trying not to fall and hurt myself. My feet felt like they were bleeding by the time I stopped to take a breather.

_Are you alright, my lady?_ Lancer asked. I laughed when I heard a hint of worry in his voice.

"You're actually worried about me? Wow," I laughed. He mentally scowled and thought about how he had to worry for me if I was his master. I ignored him and waded farther.

My next step sent me falling onto my back, and into the water. _Ouch! _A brief thought of déjà vu brought on the memory of Kiyo and me falling into a pool of water in another creek, a different one than this one.

_ Miss Kairi! Are you okay? _Lancer practically screamed.

I felt pain in my foot, and quickly pulled my foot out of the water. Blood streaked the water, and I realized I had cut my foot on something.

I put my hand into the water, and felt around for what could have wounded my foot. I was pretty sure it was a rock, until I felt something smooth.

I grasped it in my hand and lifted it out of the water. It was shiny, and silver. My eyebrows pushed together, as I turned it my hand.

When I turned the shiny piece and caught sight of my own reflection, it transformed into someone very familiar. I moved the piece, and the reflection copied my movements.

Shock flooded through me as I realized what I had in my hand. "Lancer...is this...the mirror piece?" I whispered. "My familiar stranger? My...soul?"

_Yes, my lady. _Lancer said. I studied myself. I had silvery deep blue eyes instead of a greenish hazel color, and my hair was a light pink color. I was also paler than I usually was.

My...familiar stranger...

_Miss Kairi, I don't mean to bother you, but you should really be going._

Lancer's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I stood up, ignoring the pain in my back and foot. I put the piece of mirror in my pocket. Now I was soaked, but it didn't stop me.

I picked up a rock with a sharp edge, and carved in a nearby tree on the bank of the creek, the letter _s_ for Sanctuary, in case Yoru came back, and I wasn't here. She'd know what _s_ meant.

"Well, done Kairi."

I gasped at the sound of a girl's voice. Shock and fear that I had been discovered flooded into me. Then I remembered Efalene and Dialie; the two guardians of the Sanctuary entrance at Yoru's house. They allowed Yoru into the Sanctuary in her own physical body.

They protected the entrance to the Sanctuary.

"Guardian of the Sanctuary?" I whispered, looking around. Suddenly, a young girl stood before me. Her hair was pure white and very long. She had a long flowing white dress that matched her hair, and the lightest blue colored eyes I'd ever seen in this world.

"Hello, young miss," she said, with a small smile.

"Um...hello," I managed to say. She smiled. "Who are you?"

"I am known as Nanonalie, guardian of this Sanctuary entrance. You wish to enter the Sanctuary, do you not?"

"Yes, please," I said.

"For what reason, may I ask?"

"Yes, my friends are in danger, and I have to go and help them," I said. "Kiyo went missing and Yoru went after her. I haven't heard from either of them in the past week."

"Well, I do not see any reason for you to not enter, so I grant you permission," Nanonalie smiled, and disappeared.

"Thank you, Nanonalie!" I said.

I dropped the rock, and stepped forward towards where I found the mirror piece.

As I waded farther out, I began seeing images flash through my mind. They were too fast for me to see, and Yoru had told me to keep walking when I saw these images. Of course, that had been before she forgot. She explained in great detail how she had gone through the entrance at her house.

I continued walking and, one image became more precise, and much bigger. It filled my whole vision and soon, I walked right into it. I was in a big field, with green rich grass, and golden wheat.

I looked down, and was standing in a small creek, similar to the one I'd been standing in the Human World. I looked around, curiosity smothering me.

It was Lancer who snapped me out of my curious daze.

"Um, Kairi, my lady, we need to be going," Lancer said. It took me several seconds to realize his voice sounded different. When I did, I turned to see him standing next to me in person.

He had messy brown hair, that seemed to fit him, and green eyes, that reminded me of olives. He had a belt on that held his silver lance.

He _almost_ looked kinda cute. _Almost. _But I'd never admit that to him, or anyone for that matter.

"Lancer?" I asked, unsure. He swept me a gallant bow, and smiled.

"The one and only," I laughed at his words, finding it very ironic that he truly _wasn't_ the one and only. There were a million Lancers in the Joker Game, the cruel game of the Alps.

"And just what's so funny?" he demanded. That was the Lancer Yoru had told me about. Snarky, pride consuming, jerk.

"Come on, before we're too late. For all we know, they could be fighting an enemy without me," I said, grasping his hand, and running. We took off into the field as the wind swept around us, sending the sweet scent of wheat into my nose.

The warm grass tickled my feet as I dashed faster, looking for some sign of civilization that Yoru could be at.

Kiyo and Yoru, both, would kill me when they realized what I had done. I had snuck off, left the Human World, and was now risking my life by staying in the Sanctuary where _His_ people were.

I laughed at the mere _idea _of being the irresponsible child who had ran away to come save her friends. Kiyo was probably safe with Ash, but Yoru was a different story. She _could _be with Cheshire and Tsu, but something in my gut as a Guardian told that wasn't the case.

She most definitely wasn't with Cheshire. She may have been with Rufus, but that also didn't seem right, especially considering Rufus had died... It also didn't occur to me that she had her three Demons. Fira, Shiroyasha, and Kuroyaku were her Demons, weapons, and spirit companions.

But, it never occurred to me. And it was a good thing that it didn't. So, I kept running.

When I finally came up to a village, (or maybe it would better if I said, what _used _to be a village) I gasped. The entire village was nothing but charred remains, and rubble.

"The war," I whispered. "This is what the war has down to the Sanctuary."

"Unfortunately, my lady, you are right," Lancer whispered, too. "But that's why we're here; to help end all of this suffering."

I nodded, not being able to tear my eyes away from the scene. I walked forward, looking at the burnt buildings' remains. Ashes puffed around my feet as I walked like I was an angel of death.

The sudden sound of loud thudding made me jump. I turned towards the sound to find Lancer in front of me, his lance already pulled out.

"What's wrong, Lancer?" I asked, quickly.

"It's a Werewolf, it must be. Be prepared for battle."

"Wait, how do I fight alongside you? Yoru never taught me the spells or how to fight." I began to feel panic twist through my stomach. I remembered Yoru always talking about claps and how they could help you and your servant communicate.

"Just clap two quick times, then one longer one! Quickly, my lady," Lancer said. I slammed my hands together two quick times, then one long one.

Lancer suddenly began to glow. "What did I do?" I asked, as I felt energy flowing through me and filling every part of me.

"Our energy and strength act as one when you clap like that. Now, stay behind me!" Lancer commanded. I nodded, and followed his orders.

The thuds began to get louder, until a wolf...if you want to even put it in the same _category_ as a wolf...came bounding forward.

It was _huge!_ The size of an elephant! Its blackish purple fur covered the body of the creature, and its claws extended _at least_ six inches out of its paws. But it had floppy ears, and seven tails instead of one.

"Lancer, be careful!" I yelled over the Werewolf's snarling and growling noises. Lancer was about as tall as its whole leg and then some. No match for the giant beast.

Lancer cut at its legs, and it dodged, making the whole ground shake.

"Lancer, you're just making him mad!" I yelled. He jumped forward, and the wolf-thing jumped over him, landing right in front of me. I gasped, and didn't move, because it didn't seem to want to hurt me. Besides, I was too surprised to move.

He put his head down, and sat on his belly. He bowed his head, as if waiting for me. I twitched. I reached out and touched its forehead with my hand. It looked at me with knowing red eyes. Then the name hit me like it had been obvious of who this was.

I gasped. "Tsu!" I fell backwards, freaking out at the thought.

"My...lady?" Lancer asked, confused. "You know this...thing?" he asked. I nodded fiercely and Tsu nudged me with his nose.

"What do you want?" I asked. He moved his head towards the mountains in the distance. He made a sorta whimpering sound.

"_Yoru wa doko_?" I asked. It meant "Where is Yoru?" and I'm sure he'd understand me better if I spoke Japanese, even though I knew he knew English.

A whimper escaped his mouth. Then he repeated the motion with his head.

"Is she in danger, Tsu?" I asked, desperately. He hesitated for only a second, and then nodded.

"Take me to her, quickly, Tsu," I demanded. I couldn't believe I was about to really do this, but I jumped on his back.

He moved uneasily. "Lancer, come on," I commanded. He nodded. I clapped the same clap as before, and felt my strength and power return to normal.

"Yes, my lady." He hopped on the back of Tsu, too, and I gave Tsu a swift kick.

He gave me a criticizing look, and leaped forward. I screamed at the sudden movement. It wasn't a scream of fear; it was a scream of adrenaline and excitement.

I grabbed Tsu's fur on his neck as his speed increased, so I wouldn't fall off. The acceleration was practically blowing me off of him.

Lancer was holding onto me for dear life, as Tsu continued to pounce through fields and across rivers and creeks.

Maybe an hour passed, until Tsu suddenly stopped, panting deeply.

I climbed off of him, knowing he needed a break after such a long run. Lancer climbed off, too. Tsu collapsed in front of me, so I sat in front of him with my legs crossed.

"Yoru told me that you and Cheshire are actually best buddies like me, her, and Kiyo," I said, trying to make conversation. Cheshire was one of our close friends we had known for a long time. He has white hair and a pair of white cat ears to match. His eyes were red, and he was blind though it was very easy to forget that; he used the air to feel what was going on around him.

Tsu glared at the ground, obviously embarrassed to have the truth be known. I laughed. He was ridiculous. It was okay to have friends.

Shock crossed his features, and surprise as well. "I always knew you sorta loved him like a brother," I said, brushing a piece of hair behind my ear. It passed my eyes, and I gasped when I saw it was pink. My eyes widened, and I pulled a strand in front of my face so I could see that it was actually light pink.

Then it hit me. What did I look like? Was I...my familiar stranger? Did Lancer recognize me? What did my reflection look like?

"My lady, are you alright?" Lancer asked. I nodded after a moment more of deep thought. He looked at me with concern and it made me laugh.

"Are you actually worried about me, Sir Lancelot?" I joked. Tsu snorted. Then Tsu's ears suddenly perked up. He stood, and his ears fell back, a low snarl building in his throat as he turned towards the mountains.

"Oh no," I whispered. "Is she..." I didn't consider Yoru's fate. It would cause me to stop right then, and right there. I would have run out in front of a train if something bad were to happen to either Kiyo or Yoru.

Tsu growled again, and I took that as a "Get the hell on my back, or she's going to die!" I jumped on his back, and Lancer soon followed me.

As soon as Lancer had his hands on Tsu's back, he took off bounding, causing Lancer to almost fall off. I quickly helped him up properly, and held on for dear life.

Tsu zoomed forward, faster than before, making it harder to hold onto him. I held myself on tighter, clinging to Tsu.

"Hold on, my lady!" Lancer yelled. I did. The windswept around me like a hurricane and a tornado, attacking at the same time, blowing my hair behind me. Tsu's breathing became labored after awhile, causing him slow.

"No, Tsu! You've got to get us to Yoru! Come on, you can do it!" I coaxed. Tsu pushed himself forward, not as fast as the first time we ran.

A few minutes later he collapsed, sending me flying through the air. A scream built in my throat, and my body tensed for a collision with the ground, and maybe a broken shoulder.

Only, I didn't hit the ground. I landed in someone's arms. There was a grunt, but the arms didn't waver or sway.

"My lady!" Lancer yelled from a distance.

I dared to open my eyes, and found myself looking at a boy's face. His eyes were red, with white hair messy. On the top of his head were two white ears. His eyes were blank, and he was wearing a confused expression.

He took one breath, and his face lit up into a smile that could have broken the sun from the clouds.

"Kairi!" he said. Huh? This could only be one person, and something was telling me who it was. Besides, who else looked like this?

"Cheshire?" I asked. He smiled, and sat me on my feet.

"Yoru has told me about you, and I smell your scent on her sometimes! How did you get here?" Cheshire asked.

"I came to save Yoru and my other friend, Kiyo!" I said, quickly remembering. Shock crossed his face.

"You must hurry! Midnight took her away from us a few days ago! She said that she was here to look for Kiyo, too!" Cheshire said, grabbing onto my arms and shaking me. Midnight? Oh that's wonderful.

"Cheshire, where are they!" I asked.

"Keep running! Get to the mountains! Quickly! There's supposed to be a battle between the Sanctuary and the Paranormal World. You _have _to stop Yoru! She'd never want to hurt your friends and allies!" Cheshire said, motioning to the mountains.

"Take care of Tsu, Lancer!" I commanded, already starting to jog across the open field.

"Wait, my lady! What about you? You need protection!" Lancer yelled, but still staying next to Tsu.

"My friends will protect me! Keep Cheshire and Tsu safe!" I said, and started running. This time he didn't protest. I raced through the fields of golden wheat as they brushed my legs softly like feathers.

My breathing became labored after awhile, so I slowed my pace down, but never stopped. I knew what was going to happen.

Yoru had been taken by Midnight, one of Elliot's little Vampire minions. That could only mean one of two things. One: Midnight was going to hold her hostage and turn her into a Vampire if we didn't give up. And I _know_ Ash wouldn't stop the battle just to save Yoru.

Then, there was the second of the two, which I really didn't like. Midnight had taken Yoru so she could possess her and make her kill people she'd never wanted to kill.

I wouldn't allow either one. The dreams from before came rushing back to me.

_ Yoru and I fighting…her hurting me…me hurting her. _I tried to shove them out of my head before it got to the one I hated the most:_ Kiyo and Yoru attacking each other._

This time, I stopped. I winced at the mental image, and shoved it out of my head. "No. No, stay out of my head!" I growled.

It did, and I continued running.

Finally, I came upon a little hill. I was exhausted, and decided to catch my breath at the bottom of the hill. When I finally got my breath back, I started up the hill, and came to a drop dead stop.

There were thousands of people standing down in a valley below...no they were _soldiers_.


	3. War

_**~Chapter Two: War~**_

I looked out into the valley. I saw Elliot. He had his hood and his cloak on, looking out into the crowds of soldiers in front of him. Trace, his second in command, was nearby standing with Midnight at his side. And Yoru.

Yoru was standing next to Midnight, but something wasn't right. Her eyes were glazed over. Her face was wrong. It was covered in strange black markings, mostly on her cheekbones.

Fear trickled through me like ice cold water. It took all the emotional strength I had left to drag my eyes to the soldiers in front of them, facing the east.

There was a gap, only a few yards long, in the soldiers, then started another army of soldiers, facing their enemies. At the top command of them, I saw Ash for the first time in my entire life.

He had dark hair as Kiyo had said, and the most beautiful dark blue eyes I'd ever seen in my life. To my surprise and discomfort, he could actually pass for sexy, but that was sick! Who would date my mean brother?

Then, I saw Kiyo. Confusion and questions filled my mind, causing me to just stare. She was here. How...? Why...? She was...right there...

I felt tears fill my eyes, and my heart ache. Why had he brought her to such a dangerous place? Fear, Ash's second in command, was beside her, protectively. I felt jealousy replace the confusion and pain that had filled me before.

That was my job! I was her Guardian! No one else! I glared at them, and suddenly a yell echoed through the battle field.

"Attack!" It sounded through the entire area. Something in the pit of my stomach told me it was _Elliot's_ voice that had yelled attack.

Then, Ashu-Niisama's voice copied. "Attack!" They charged.

I saw Yoru dart forward, quickly, right in Kiyo's direction. I looked at Kiyo, and saw her breaking away from Fear and Ash. Ash yelled for to come back, but she disobeyed him, and ran in Yoru's direction.

I screamed. That was my first reaction. "Yoru! Kiyo!" My voice called, but didn't carry. The wind fiercely blew, cutting my voice off.

I took off running, and jumped. I flung my weight as far as I could; this made my body fall straight for the ground.

My feet came in contact with the ground. No pain came from the impact, and so I raced forward. I entered the crowd of fighting soldiers.

I swerved around a few Werewolves, and nearly fell over a shape shifter. My feet pounded against the ground, as I pushed through the crowd, desperately looking for Kiyo and Yoru.

"Kiyo! Yoru!" I screamed out. I came to a little clearing where no one was fighting. I looked around and still saw no one. A sudden cloaked figure emerged from the crowd. The cloaked figure slid her hood off, revealing a pale face that was Midnight.

Her hair was jet black, a little past her shoulders, and her eyes were a piercing red burgundy. She gave me a little smirk to reveal her fangs.

"Why, hello, young Kairi," she said, laughing at the end. She stepped into the middle of the little clearing.

"Midnight," I spat. "Get out of my way!"

She burst into a delicate laughter. "Why would I do such a thing? What advantages would such a move give me?"

I glared at her, and another smile spread across her face. "Well, you look very lovely in the Sanctuary," Midnight said, looking me over, pausing slightly longer to look at my tail and ears.

"Get out of my way!" I shouted.

She only laughed again. "Are you here to fight? Which team are you on, exactly, considering Yoru is on our side, and Kiyo is on Ash's side?"

Anger flooded into me. "Shut up!" I yelled. "I'm here to save my friends! Now move!"

"I'm afraid not. But you could always take me on. I'm sure it'll be fun while it lasts."

I screamed in anger, and suddenly fire erupted from hands. I put my hands in front of me, as if to keep the fire away from me. We both gasped. Had that just really happened? Fire...? From my hands?

Midnight took a step back, fear etched onto her face. I played it well by saying, "Now step down!"

She looked at me, then my hands, and shook her head like a little puppy dog.

This time, the fury was so strong; fire didn't erupt from my hands. Something _formed_ in my hand. My right hand.

We both looked down to see a scythe. I gasped, shocked at what I saw. Its long black handle extended about five feet or more. The blade itself was a silver color, the sharpest thing I'd ever seen. On the outside of the blade were smaller blades that curved with the main blade, making it deadly if it were swung the right way. At the wide part of the blade where it began to protrude from the handle, black fur bushed out.

Midnight gasped, stepping back again. "Kuroyasha..." she whispered. It meant "Black Demon." She glared at me one last time, before disappearing, leaving a crow flying where she had just been.

_Kairi Lin Fatewin, my name is Kuroyasha. I have chosen you to wield me to save those who are close to you. I lend you my power in your time of need,_ a girl voice burst into my head. I felt the scythe pulse twice then the voice was gone. I didn't have time to wonder why she called me Kairi Lin Fatewin instead of my name, or why she was only heard in my head.

I didn't ask _any_ questions, because I knew Yoru or Kiyo both could be dead by then. I raced forward, slicing and cutting with the scythe that must have been called Kuroyasha.

I ran for what seemed like hours, but was probably only minutes. I began to feel panic twist through me.

"Yoru! Kiyo!" I screamed. No answers. I looked around, frantically and spied Ashu-Niisama fighting alongside Fear against Trace and Midnight. I looked for Kiyo around them, but didn't see her. They didn't notice me, and I kept running.

I finally stopped in the middle of another little clearing, surrounded by enemies and allies. I felt tears fill my eyes. Where were they!

I looked up at the sky and screamed, "Kiyo Rakugo! Yoru Tsukiyomi! Where are you?" My voice echoed this time.

What kind of Guardian was I? I couldn't even keep up with my best friends! I didn't deserve the duty of protecting them, because I didn't even know where they were!

As if everyone in the entire area could hear my thoughts, they began to move, making a straight path.

And at the end, there they were.

Kiyo's hair was a dark blue color so dark it was almost black, and her eyes were grey and blue tinted. Her hair came to an inch or so past her shoulders. The two front pieces of hair in her part were the same blue color. They were also curled fantastically, bouncing as she moved.

Yoru had much lighter hair than usual, almost a golden color. She had black streaks in her hair. Her hair came four inches past her shoulder, maybe a little longer, I couldn't tell. Yoru's eyes were grey...and very distant. At a better look, I realized the marks on her cheek bones stretched all the way to the back of her neck, down her shoulders and arms, stopping on her hands where they made a symbol. Roman numeral 13. XIII.

Kiyo stood there, a fierce expression on her face, and Yoru there beside her, with a dark twisted smile that wasn't her own.

I raced forward. Everything seemed to fall into slow motion. When I finally came close enough to jump in between them, I leaped.

I landed on my feet, right in front of Kiyo, just as Yoru was about to land a blow with her fist. I held Kuroyasha up, letting her take the damage of the hit.

Kiyo gasped. "K...Kairi? Kairi? Is that really you?"

"Get behind me!" I demanded. Yoru glared at me through Midnight's control. This was my worst fear: I had to fight Yoru. What if I hurt her? What if she hurt me?

"How...? Why...? What?" Kiyo stuttered.

Yoru jumped forward, and I hit her with the handle of Kuroyasha. She hissed, and jumped at Kiyo, who was still in shock that I was actually there. Hell, I didn't even believe I was.

I quickly blocked her way by holding her back with my Kuroyasha. "Kiyo! I'll explain later!" I snapped. It seemed to snap her out of the daze, and she pushed Yoru back with a sloppy force field, which surprised me. When had she learned that?

Yoru snarled, and jumped at me, too quickly for it to be Human moves, and too quickly for Kiyo to stop her. She landed on top of me, making me fall to the ground. She began to claw at me, and I was pinned down because she was on Kuroyasha's handle.

Kiyo called upon her wind (yes, apparently I had missed a lot, because we knew she was supposed to be able to control elements, but she never actually could) to try and knock Yoru off of me. She finally did jump off me, and I jumped up, snarling in my Human way. Ashu-Niisama would be proud.

Yoru jumped at me, and this time, my hands reacted by themselves. Kuroyasha swung out, hitting Yoru's side. I screamed, when Yoru was hit. Oh no. I had injured her. What had I done?

She growled as the wounded began to bleed. She raised her hands into the air as wind whipped around the three of us, swifter than when Kiyo had controlled it. I closed my eyes, the wind being too powerful.

When the wind died, I opened them to find Yoru wielding a scythe, very much like mine. This scythe was everything my scythe was, but everything that was black on Kuroyasha was white on her scythe.

I knew who Yoru was wielding.

"Shiroyasha..." I breathed, looking at him. The twin brother of Kuroyasha, I thought automatically. It must have been a piece of information from Kuroyasha, because previously, I wouldn't have known. Yoru smiled, an evil little grin, causing Kiyo and I to shudder.

"Prepare to die, 'Guardian Kairi' because, I must get to Kiyo," Yoru said, but it wasn't her voice. No, this voice was evil. Yoru wasn't evil.

"No, Midnight," I said, knowing she was controlling Yoru, "I won't _let_ you make Yoru hurt us."

"What are you going to do, then? Are you going to hurt Yoru? Can you bring yourself to that? What if that's the only way to get her out of my wrath and control?" Midnight was playing with me now. I growled, and swung at Yoru.

Shiroyasha and Kuroyasha made contact, and we were both repelled by a force as white sparks flew.

"Kiyo!" I yelled. "Go find Ash!"

"I'm not leaving your side!" she yelled. I heard a fiery passion fill her voice. She wanted to help; no she needed to help. I felt it in her.

Yoru jumped at me, and my body reacted on its own. It swiftly dodged out of the swinging scythe's way, and then jumped backwards to where Kiyo was standing.

"Yoru! Stop!" I yelled. "You're going to hurt Kiyo! Is that what you want?"

"That's exactly what I want, and will do." The voice that escaped her mouth was scary. It was dark, evil, and defiantly nothing Yoru would ever say.

I growled. Fury burned through me, and before I knew it, a vortex of flames was surrounding me. Kiyo gasped, and even Yoru flinched.

"Stop this, Midnight!" I screamed. "Show yourself! Now!"

A sudden dark cloud formed near Yoru. Then, Midnight emerged from it, her cloak blending in with the Darkness.

She was smirking, and looking at me like I was an ant. All the fury suddenly fizzled out as she said her next words.

"Yoru, kill the Guardian. Then get the girl." My heart stopped beating. This was truly going to happen. Midnight was really going to make us fight to the death.

"Yes, master," Yoru smiled.

I felt fear flood through me. Yoru stalked forward, swung her Shiroyasha behind her for momentum, and then slung it at me. He spun in a circle, flying right for my face. I closed my eyes, preparing to die, if I didn't move fast enough.

My whole body grew stronger with a sudden burst of energy. I opened my eyes, and held Kuroyasha up. The impact on Kuroyasha sent us both slide back, so I dug my feet into ground.

The friction stopped me, and I slung Kuroyasha out, sending Shiroyasha flying through the air back the way he came.

Yoru jumped up, and caught him. Kiyo gasped, and I felt strong emotions building in her (having a mind connection with her had its benefits). Little burst and explosions of energy filled her, and her expression became fierce again.

In her hands, right before our eyes, another scythe appeared. I gasped as I heard what Kiyo heard.

_Kiyo Aeka Everdusk, I have chosen you to help your friends. My name is Haiiroyasha. I am the younger sibling of the twin scythes, Kuroyasha and Shiroyasha. Protect them and their wielders._

Kiyo gasped, as the scythe in her hands pulsed through her. It was a mixture of both Kuroyasha and Shiroyasha. The handle was grey and was a replica of both Shiroyasha and Kuroyasha, only grey.

Yoru looked shocked, for the first time. I was equally shocked, and almost didn't see Yoru come at me after snapping out of her daze. I quickly turned around and swung, not meaning to put so much force into my arm. The scythe's blade hit Yoru on the shoulder, slicing into her abdomen.

I screamed, not able to stop from dropping to my knees. "Yoru-sama!" I cried. "No!" Yoru fell, too, but she didn't stop growling and staring at me.

"Stop it, both of you!" Kiyo snapped. She was in between the both of us, holding one hand out in front of me, and Haiiroyasha facing Yoru.

"Move, before she regains her control!" I said to Kiyo.

She looked at me with a fierce glance and said, "I will not let you two hurt each other!"

"So you're going to let her hurt you!" I snapped. Kiyo flinched.

"She wouldn't hurt me."

As soon as she said, Yoru was up. She jumped at Kiyo, who was too startled to move. I was about to scream, when Haiiroyasha pulsed.

Kiyo suddenly swung at Shiroyasha. They clashed, sending Kiyo stumbling back.

I jumped up, and was in front of Kiyo before Yoru's Shiroyasha had the chance to come _close_ to Kiyo and Haiiroyasha.

Yoru snarled, and growled in response. "Stop it, Yoru!" Kiyo screamed.

"It is pointless, Kiyomi Aeka Nozomi," Midnight smiled, showing her fangs. "The Yoru you know is not there anymore. She has died and this is her rebirth."

"What the hell did you do to Yoru!" I screamed. Yoru swung at me. Kuroyasha and I moved in unison to block the attack.

"Snap out of it, Yoru!" Kiyo called. "You're going to kill your Guardian! You're going to kill your best friends!"

Yoru faltered for the slightest moment. Her blank face changed to confusion and hurt.

Her lips moved slightly. _Run!_

"I won't leave you here with Midnight, Yoru-sama!" I shouted. She closed her eyes in pain, trying hard not to let Midnight control her.

I took it as an advantage. I jumped at Midnight. She was shocked, but was still a Vampire. She dissolved right before my eyes into black inky dust. I gasped as the Darkness surrounded me, sending awful, dreadful feelings coursing through me.

I screamed in adrenaline and fear. I felt Kuroyasha pulse, and was suddenly spun around as her voice said, _don't let the Darkness effect you_! The Darkness of Midnight was gone, and Kuroyasha was pulsing again. I looked to Kiyo and Yoru.

Kiyo's hands were on her shoulders, and Yoru's eyes were closed tightly. "Snap out of it, Yoru! Free your mind from that bitch!" Kiyo said. Haiiroyasha was inside of Kiyo now, making her unprotected, but something told me to keep my nose out of this.

"Kiyo…I'm…I can't…" she whispered.

"You can," she prompted. "Clear your mind, push her out."

Suddenly, I froze with fear. Icy chills filled the air around us, like only seconds before when the Darkness had cloaked around me, making all of us gasp.

"Is this not such a wonderful little reunion?" a soft voice floated from behind me. I spun around just in time to see Bara, of all people, walking towards me.

Kiyo and Yoru both turned to see her coming towards us. I growled my Humanish growl, and glared at her. She smiled at me and laughed lightly.

When Yoru saw her, she instantly froze, not wincing in pain from Midnight's control.

"Bara!" I gasped. I backed up, feeling fear twist through me. It was strange because she was definitely speaking Japanese, but we could all understand her, perfectly. At the moment I thought it, I felt Kuroyasha pulse, and heard the same sounds coming from behind me. _The scythes were part of who we were, giving us the ability to understand Japanese_, I thought to myself.

"What do you want, Bara?" Yoru said. She was also speaking Japanese. I could only stare at the Demon. She was about the same height as me, and had long silver hair down to her ankles. She wore all purple, and was in a purple petal-like dress. She was wearing the same purple boots as always and the same eye patch with a rose on it.

Bara was portraying no emotion, as usual. Her visible gold eye was cold and empty, as she scanned us, landing, and remaining on Yoru.

"To be complete, Eienyoru Shura Crescentworth." Why was everyone calling us strange names? Her face twisted into a wicked smile that scared the hell out of me. I glared at her.

"You bes' realize that I'll kick your ass," I snapped. "You will _not_ hurt Yoru!" I knew what she meant. I knew she needed the 13 Girls of Hades to become complete, but I had thought they were dead. Meaning she most certainly needed Yoru. But I wouldn't allow her to harm my Protectant.

She merely laughed. Her voice was cold, and drained of all humor. "You, young Kairi, can do nothing to stop me."

My eyes narrowed. "Kairi! Watch out!" I heard Kiyo yell. I gasped, and turned, just in time to see a giant black dog running towards me. I snarled in response. _It can only be one thing_, I thought. _The Grim_.

He growled at me, his ears pinning behind his head. "Kiyo!" I shouted. I sent her a mental image of her jumping forward with Haiiroyasha as I took the Grim head on.

I saw her nod slightly, and I jumped forward, Kuroyasha summoned. I swung straight for the Grim's neck. He snarled, easily dodging my attack, only to have me to counter attack him with a blow to his stomach.

Kiyo jumped forward at this time, swinging Haiiroyasha strongly. I smiled to myself at the force behind her swing. I was proud of her. A strong gust of air, scented with roses, caught my attention.

I turned slightly, and saw Yoru was facing Bara in fighting stance. I felt a strong pull from my Guardian instincts to protect them both. I then faltered at the distraction, almost tripping. Then Kiyo's arm caught my balance. I gave her a grateful look, and saw that she had wounded the Grim. I smiled, proud that she had caused so much damage.

He ran towards the other battle, but Kiyo jumped at him. Haiiroyasha cut through its neck, beheading it. Kiyo smiled, victorious that she had killed the dastardly creature. She wiped the blood that had splattered from his neck, off her face.

I quickly turned towards where Yoru and Bara were. Yoru was on the ground, panting, sweat beading down her face. I jumped in front of her, and growled at the wretched Demon. "Back down, Bara!" I snapped. She chuckled.

I small breeze uplifted my hair, and she was gone. A rose lay where she had just been. I turned to Yoru, who was still panting.

"Are you alright?" I demanded.

She took a shaky breath. "Yea, I'm fine." She stood, and it's then that I realized she looked worse than before. She had a wound on her arm steadily bleeding, and the wound I had caused on her shoulder and abdomen was as well. The marks had gotten darker, and her eyes were holding pain. But they weren't distant anymore. I thanked god she was okay.

"Kiyo, where's Ashu-Niisama?" I asked, automatically knowing we had to find him. He was going to hear a piece of my mind, mind you. I was going to kick his butt, the second we were safe.

"I...hold on, I'm not sure...," she said, dazing off for a few seconds. "He's not even close."

"Shoot," I muttered. I knew my best option would be to get them the hell out of this place, and back to where Lancer, Tsu, and Cheshire were. It was safe there, and we wouldn't have to worry about being attacked.

"Yoru, help me get out of here," I said. Kiyo knew what I had just thought, and I felt her before she answered.

"What the hell! I can't leave! We have the chance to fight! To help! We aren't leaving! All those times we were sitting at home, and people were dying, and we were sitting on our butts, doing nothing but having daydreams about how magnificent and wonderful the Sanctuary is, and here we are, and all you can think about is running away and leaving everyone to just die!" She was out of breath. She had said everything in only one breath, leaving Yoru and I both speechless.

She had never been more right in her life. "You are so darn right that it hurts!" I said. "But..." I began, turning to Yoru.

She looked sick, as if she were going to fall over. "Can we at least get her out of danger, and then come back?" I whispered. I knew Kiyo was worried about Ash _and _Yoru, but I could tell she was going to say just leave her. Definitely not.

"I just found you, I will _not_ leave you! Not now, not ever!" I snapped before she could say anything.

She stayed quiet for a moment and finally said, "How far is safe?"

I smiled, and said, "Not too far. Lancer will hear me." Her jaw dropped at the mention of his name.

"Lancer?" she asked, dully. "He woke up? I'm truly not the only one who thinks they're crazy?" she asked. I looked at her confused.

"Wait, what?" I wondered.

"Axel woke up. But...you had said they weren't real...so I thought I was insane." I chuckled.

"No, Yoru must have been misled by someone else. Well, go on then. Summon him." I then remembered that we were in the middle of a battle, and we had to get Yoru to safety. "Uh, never mind. Come on."

I quickly and swiftly pulled Yoru onto my back, despite her complaints. Kuroyasha and Haiiroyasha, both, guided us from the battle, and up a trail leading to the top of the hill I had jumped from. I quickly (as quickly as I could manage; Yoru wasn't exactly as light as a feather) ran up the trail, Kiyo on my heels. We ran across the field, and I immediately screamed through my mind, _Lancer! Get over here! I need you, now!_ There was a loud popping sound, and I could feel his presence.

"Lancer, Kiyo, Kiyo Lancer," I said, making a quick introduction. They nodded, and I helped Yoru off my back. "Lancer, get Yoru back to Tsu and Cheshire. Keep her there and do _not_ let her leave, no matter what she says. And that's an official order."

"Yes, my lady," he said, sweeping me a bow. He took Yoru's elbow, but not without Yoru groaning and disapproving.

"Kairi!" Yoru complained.

"You'll get over it," I muttered, smiling. Then Kiyo and I took off running again. We jumped down and again, I didn't feel the pain of impact. We raced forward, scythes swinging. The second we entered the battle, it was like we were engulfed in hell.

Screams echoed around us as we raced to where Kiyo said Ashu-Niisama was. I pushed myself faster, feeling my energy depleting.

"Kiyo, how much farther?" I shouted.

"He's right up there!" she yelled. We took out as many enemies as we could on the way. Kiyo's total was up to about six enemies, not including the Grim. I had had taken out six exactly, and was about to work on my seventh when I heard Kiyo yell Ash's name.

I glanced over, only to see her collapsing in his arms.

I rolled my eyes, and went back to fighting off the Vampire in front of me. After I was done, I joined Ashu-Niisama and Kiyo. I idly wondered where Fear was, considering she wasn't there. She was probably fighting Midnight. Hell, now that I thought about it, I hadn't seen Midnight since the battle with Yoru.

Kiyo was now kissing Ash. Tsk. I looked away, not really wanting to see it at the moment.

"Get a room," I muttered. A loud thud, grabbed my attention, and again, I realized we were still at the battle.

I looked up, just in time to see a Werewolf charging for them both. Crap!

The less rational part of my mind took control, and I ran towards Ash and Kiyo. I threw the full force of my weight into a jump. We clashed, all three of us landing about ten yards away from where the Werewolf was charging for. We landed on the hard ground with a loud thud. Darn! I had some force in my jumps.

Kiyo looked at me, confused. Ash looked at me, outraged. "Get the hell off of me!" he yelled.

"I just saved your freaking lives!" I snapped, dryly.

"You think I didn't know it was coming?" he asked, shoving me up. Not surprisingly, I landed on my butt.

"Shut up! God, at least I didn't let her get away from me. I kept her safe. And guess what you missed: Her slaying the grim." I stuck my tongue out at the end, and smiled.

He scowled at me. He then smiled at Kiyo. "I'm proud of you." Pft; he was not nearly as proud as I was.

_ Hey, I can hear you,_ he thought in my head.

"Get out of my head!" I snapped.

"Guys, seriously; we're in a _battlefield_! We need to _fight_, not _argue_!" Kiyo snapped at both of us. Ash sighed.

"You are _not_ allowed to fight," Ash said, sternly.

"Ha, at least I can," I laughed.

"Oh, no you can't. I want you to take Yoru and Kiyo _both_ to somewhere safe. I'd _prefer_ you take them to the Human World...," he let the sentence trail off, knowing that that was a definite lost cause.

"What the hell? Why would I listen to you? I wanna fight in this battle! So does Kiyo! Why shouldn't we be able to help?"

"Five seconds ago, you were saying how you didn't want Kiyo here. Now, please take her, and get out of here!" he snapped.

"Hell no!" I growled (Humanish.)

He glared at me. I faltered under his glare. "Take. My. Kiyo. To. Somewhere. Safe!" he growled.

My eyes narrowed. "_You're_ Kiyo? She is not _your_ Kiyo!"I shouted, anger twisting through me.

"It doesn't matter whose Kiyo she is! Get her out of here!" he yelled at me. I felt a strong sense of power and authority when he said it, and I actually realized that he _was _the King of the Paranormal World.

Kiyo sighed in defeat. I sighed, too. I took her by the hand, but she pulled away, and ran to Ash's side, hugging him tightly.

I felt her love for him through our connection, and didn't make any unneeded sounds.

"Bye, Kiyo. I love you, and promise you, I will see you as soon as the battle is over," Ash whispered in her ear.

"I love you, too. Please, _please _be careful!" she practically begged. He chuckled.

"Aren't I always?"

She pulled back a few inches to give him a look. "Really? You want me to answer truthfully?"

He chuckled again, and kissed her hair softly. "I'll see you soon, love," he murmured, in her ear. He then pulled away, too soon for Kiyo.

"Until, then my love," he said. She smiled, and took a step back. I smiled timidly at Ash.

"Don't have a cute attack on me, Guardian Kairi." All my cute loving emotions suddenly dried up at the mention of my Guardian title.

"I'll take her to a safe place," I vowed. He smiled, and for once, I felt he had actual confidence in me. I took Kiyo's arm, and lead her away from Ash. She didn't take her eyes off of him, and wouldn't walk right. I finally just picked her up, and started jogging through the battlefield, feeling the drain of today's events effecting me.

It was then that I realized she was crying. "Kiyo, really, he'll be okay. I mean, seriously, he's part Vampire and...Well, other stuff," I said, at a loss for words. She nodded, and leaned into my chest for comfort. I was seriously becoming exhausted.

I pushed forward, and finally reached the edge of the battle. I huffed, and by now I was seeing black spots. Kuroyasha was obviously my last resort.

"Kuroyasha, _ima koi_!" I muttered. "_Ima koi" _means come now in Japanese. My scythe's lion form seemed to jump out of nowhere. I quickly pushed Kiyo onto her back, and then climbed onto her as well.

"Take me to Yoru, Cheshire, Tsu, and..." I whispered, my words fading slowly. I wouldn't be dragged into unconsciousness. Not yet. Not until I had done what Ash had assigned to me.

Kuroyasha knew where I meant. I felt her lurch forward, almost sending Kiyo off the back end off her, but I held onto her tighter. Kuroyasha didn't bother taking the trail; she just climbed the rock face. I clung to her fur for dear life, holding Kiyo tighter, knowing if I slipped off, we'd both fall to the ground.

Kuroyasha finally pulled herself onto the top of the hill and took off running. It had only been a few minutes until I was seeing dark spots. I had a feeling, maybe it wasn't just me, that Kiyo was tired, too.

Kuroyasha came to a stop, five minutes later. Kiyo and I climbed off, and I knew she was still sniffling. I looked to see Cheshire and Tsu (in his Human form) sitting beside Yoru. They had somehow acquired some blankets for her. She was sleeping. That was good. She seemed to be exhausted.

Tsu looked up, and smiled. "Why hello, Kairi, Kiyo. You two seem...drained. Maybe I could-"Tsu started in a perverted tone, but I cut him off.

"Okay, just shut it up now," I snapped. Tsu was a ridiculous pervert, just as Yoru had said he was.

The sound of my voice made Lancer look up from Yoru. He had been watching her carefully. He was such a good servant. That was sarcasm…

"Is she alright?" I asked. Cheshire looked up, and smiled one of his happy-go-lucky smiles.

"Kairi! You've returned! With Kiyo-sama, too," he said, kindly. He got up and walked over to us. I was extremely surprised when he hugged Kiyo. I almost gasped.

"Uh, really, that's not necessary, Cheshire," Kiyo said uncomfortably, but slowly hugged him back. He stepped back, and looked up, surprised.

"You are the queen of the Paranormal World. We're on the same side. I am most certainly _not _loyal to Elliot." He shuddered.

Kiyo nodded, and smiled. "Um, thanks Cheshire." I smiled, happy to be in Cheshire's presence. His happiness was almost contagious.

"Kairi, my lady, you're back," Lancer said, smirking. "Oh. And, uh, you brought...you brought another master."

What? What was he talking about? I gasped as I realized he was talking about Kiyo and Axel.

"Oh. Uh. Um...awkward, huh," I said, chewing my lip. "Is...Is the joker game still...you know, um...going to happen?" I wondered, hesitantly. Lancer looked at me with sullen eyes, and nodded. The memory of Yoru and Archer telling me about the Joker Game flooded my mind.

The Joker Game was a cruel, and sadistic 'game' if that's what you want to call it. There's another world we call the Alps, and millions of other servants, many different kinds with different fighting styles, strengths, and weaknesses, lived there. The Alps was ruled by a King that was very strict, and very controlling. He sent the servants away to be in the Joker Game so the war between the Sanctuary and the Paranormal World will move more quickly. The leader of the Joker Game was the Joker, and he controlled the rules.

Snapping back to reality, I sighed, and smiled weakly. "Well, you will not hurt Axel in any way, shape, or form," I said using the authority I had over him in my words.

Lancer nodded. "Yes, master," he said, immediately. I grinned.

I turned to look at Yoru. Her hair was messy and knotted. Those awful marks were still on her. What were they? I walked to her, pulling Kiyo along with me. I really didn't know if this was a safe place, but at that moment, I felt that I was going to faint.

"And, Lancer? Another thing; do not, under any circumstance, let Kiyo leave this area without me. I swear to you, if you do, I'll let Axel destroy you, and you will lose the Joke Game. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Master," he says, bowing. I gave Kiyo a look.

"Just don't run off. I really don't want to upset Ash, especially now that he thinks I can actually handle something."

"He knows you can handle things," she said, glumly. I sighed and shook my head. I stumbled towards a spot near Yoru and practically collapsed on the ground. Kiyo sat next to me, pulling her knees to her chest.

"Are you alright?" I managed to say.

She only nodded, before putting her head against her knees. I pulled her into a tight hug. "Shh...Hey, he'll be fine, okay?" I said, trying to sound perky. Unfortunately, I (epically) failed.

She hugged me back, and I felt...right. Everything felt alright. I knew everything was going to be okay again.

I had my sisters back, and Lancer was awake, and I knew how to get to the Sanctuary...I was so happy.

I slowly drifted into sleep, listening to the calm breathing of Kiyo to make sure she was still there. I felt so...calm. I knew it was wrong, utterly wrong, because I knew people were fighting. I knew people were dying.

Somewhere in my mind, I faintly felt Kiyo trying to sleep, but I knew she wouldn't. Not with this much on her mind. Then, I was unconscious.


	4. Searching

_**~Chapter Three: Searching~**_

I awoke to a loud commotion. My eyes shot open, and I was instantly on my feet, looking for the danger.

I glanced to where Kiyo was, and noticed she wasn't there. I immediately turned to Yoru. She was awake, and yelling at Tsu.

"Do not touch me you freakin pervert!" she snapped. Kiyo was sitting next to her, laughing. I sighed in relief, thinking that I would have died if something had happened to them after all that we had been through in the past twenty-four hours.

I took a moment to actually look at Kiyo and Yoru.

Yoru's marks weren't as dark as before, but still prominent.

Kiyo's hair was rather neat, considering all we'd been through that day. I could tell by the way her face looked, she was tired.

Her eyes drooped every so often, making it obvious she was trying to fight against sleep. Besides her facial features, I glanced at what she was wearing.

She had dark blue skinny jeans with a single deep rich purple chain belt. She had dark blue and black striped arm-warmers that stretched all the way to her elbows. They had dark purple lace ribbons tied into a bow. Her shirt was simple, yet perfect for her. The writing was scarlet red. It read,

Princess of Paranormal

Behind the writing was all black, with purple lace trim. Her shoes were amazing. They were mainly black converses. Purple had been splattered on them, and the strings were dark blue.

Her best friends charm wasn't the same as it was in the Human World. It was hanging from a think black ribbon. The charm was also...more prominent? Maybe? I couldn't really explain it, but it sorta just stood out more.

Kiyo's hand had all of her friendship bracelets on it that it usually did. She also had a dark blue bracelet on her other hand.

Engraved in the bracelet was,

Paranormal Goddess, Kiyo Everdusk

Team Paranormal

I smiled to myself. She also had earrings on. They were, oh _my god, she was not wearing those!_ The thought burst from my mind. I began laughing out loud.

Everyone looked up to see me. "What's so funny?" Yoru demanded.

"Kiyo...earring...,"I roared with laughter.

"Huh?" Kiyo asked. She reached up to touch her ears, and then blushed, remembering something, obviously.

Her earrings were fangs that said, "Fang banger."

"Ash...," I laughed, falling to the ground. After a few moments, I composed myself, and sighed. "That boy bes' believe, I'll cut his manly parts off if he even _tries_ to come near you like that."

"Uh, yea, no. Not yet," Kiyo said, embarrassed.

"You _both_ bes' believe, 'cause, I will not let that happen," I said, firmly. She nodded, and I turned to Yoru. "Are you okay?"

"No. Nothing is okay!" she said.

"What? Why? What's wrong?" I asked, immediately.

"Tsu's being a pervert!" she said, slapping him. I laughed.

"Isn't he always?" I muttered.

I also noticed Lancer and...Well, obviously it was Axel. He had brown ruffled hair and a worried expression on his face.

"I could easily become the Joker!" Axel said, sounding offended by something Lancer had said.

"You are too kind to be the Joker!" Lancer snapped.

"You are so mean!" Axel said, taken aback.

"Lancer! Enough!" I shouted, angrily. He looked up, shocked. He took a step back.

"Y-Yes, master," he said, bowing. I glared at him.

"Oh, Kairi-sama!" Axel said, bowing to me, too.

"Stop bowing, Axel," I said. He nodded quickly, and stood straight.

"And would you please stop bowing to me, too?" Kiyo asked, and then yawned.

He looked astonished. "I...But I must bow to my mast-" he began.

"No, Axel. No bowing, and that's an order," Kiyo yawned again. That was quite enough. She _needed_ to sleep. She was dead on her feet, and it was time she got her rest.

"Bed time, Kiyo," I said.

"No!" she begged. "What if Ash comes while I'm sleeping? Or worse, he doesn't?"

"Kiyo, calm down. It's going to be okay," I said, soothingly. "We aren't going to leave your side, and I promise we'll wake you up if he comes." She whimpered. "Calm down, Kiyo-Chan," I said, jokingly. She glared, but sighed.

"Fine," she said, miserably. I walked over to her, and Yoru got up, limping and weak. She looked better than yesterday, though. Much better. She motioned for Kiyo to lie down in the spot she had slept in.

Kiyo lay down, not refusing but complaining the whole time. I sat beside her, and Yoru joined me. "It's going to be okay, Kiyo," I said, smiling reassuringly. She nodded and put her head on my knee for a pillow. She was instantly consumed by sleep.

I sighed. "Ash should be back by now. It's been a whole day, Yoru. He would have come looking for us by now. He would have sent someone or told someone to check on us."

She looked at Kiyo. "I was kinda thinking the same thing. Maybe I should go-" I cut her off.

"No, I will. I'll go see if the battle is still going. If it is, we'll move farther away, if not then I'll look for Ashu-Niisama," I said.

"Why do I get left out of all the cool things? I'll be stuck here with Tsu!" she said, in outrage. I chuckled.

I gently lifted Kiyo's head and laid it on the ground. I stood up, and said, _"Ima koi Kuroyasha!"_

My black Demon lion erupted from me, instantly. She sprang forward and whipped around me. Wind lifted my hair as she circled, and then dropped into sitting stance at my side.

"Why do I have to stay with Mr. Pervert, Mr. Bossy Dork, and Mr. Over-Protective Whiny Face?" Yoru whined.

"I'm sorry! Oh, Lancer, watch over Yoru and Axel," I commanded. I placed a hand on Kuroyasha's shoulder. "Because Yoru. You were wounded pretty badly. Give yourself a chance to heal."

She groaned. I threw myself onto Kuroyasha's back. "You know, Yoru," I began as Kuroyasha rose to her feet. "Toru is a cute name for a child." I grinned as she became flustered. _Toru _was Tsu and Yoru's couple name that we teased her about.

"Not in a million years, Kairi!" she shouted, as Kuroyasha turned to leave. Tsu smirked at her and I laughed.

Wind swept around me as Kuroyasha darted forward. I held onto her fur as she charged. We dashed through the fields of wheat until we reached the hill I jumped off the first time I came. We jumped landing on the ground where the battle had been.

We both came to a halt when the sight registered. Bodies lay on the ground, with little smoking piles everywhere from fires. Helmets and armor pieces laid a strewn the ground in random directions.

Ashes and blood soaked the ground, and horse carcasses lay around the battle area, too. "Oh my god..." I whispered. This was…wrong…

Kuroyasha growled at the sick scene. I stroked her shoulder softly, and climbed off of her back. I walked into the mass of smoke, blood, and ash. The smell of death covered the air in thick drifts.

I shuddered as Kuroyasha followed behind me. "This is awful, Kuroyasha," I whispered in horror.

_ This is what the war brings to both worlds. This is the disaster that follows Elliot and his soldiers._ Kuroyasha's voice echoed through my head, only a mere whisper. How could people do this to themselves? They were killing…they were dying…

I sniffed the air, knowing the Sanctuary had sharpened my senses (including my sixth...)

I smelled blood...and fire...and ashes...Of course I smelled that, what about people? I jogged forward, looking for a sign of movement or of Ash. He had to be here somewhere, right? He wouldn't have left us. He would have made sure that we were safe before leaving.

"Ashu-Niisama!" I called. "Hello?" I stopped running, and heard Kuroyasha behind me.

_Kairi, he is not here. I cannot smell him, _her voice broke through me. I felt my face fall.

Anxiety was slowly creeping into me like a slippery snake. It was crawling and coiling, ready to make the weight of what this meant fall onto my shoulders. My master was missing.

"Well, we have to find him," I said. I could see she was disapproving this choice, but she wouldn't defy her master that way. She was mine and she would protect me from everything.

_Very well, young one. Come._

She knelt down beside me, and I climbed on top of her. She sprinted when I had a secure grip on her fur. Again, the wind whipped around me. And my thoughts started to collect themselves.

Nocturne was the best person to find. He was directly involved with Elliot because he was his information broker; probably the only one who knew as much as Trace did, if not, then more. He knew all his plans, and if Elliot had Ashu-Niisama, than I knew Nocturne would know. I knew he would know where he was, and what the plan was on him. Now, getting the information out of him was a whole different story.

We ran as I contemplated where Nocturne lived. I was trying to remember what the name of the place was called...Stellan? Yes, it was Stellan.

"Kuroyasha? Do you know where Stellan is?" I asked over the roar of the wind.

_Yes, why do you ask?_

I chuckled and said, "I need to talk to Nocturne." Kuroyasha faltered.

_Nocturne? He is a direct line to Elliot himself! You mustn't trust him; he reads minds and tells Elliot what he knows. Kairi, we can't possibly-_

"Kuroyasha, calm," I said, gently. She heaved. "He's a friend, one of Yoru's. Plus, I need to get bandages, medicine, and food for the others." She didn't respond, only pushing forward through the tall grass.

I already knew she would disapprove of this choice. It was dumb. It was stupid. It was ignorant, and as a Guardian, I shouldn't have been putting myself in danger like this. But this wasn't only my king; this was my brother. He was the king of the Paranormal World for goodness sake! I had to find him. No matter what the cost.

Trees began making themselves known, popping up every so often. The farther we went, the more trees began to be more common. Soon we were running through a forest.

Kuroyasha neatly dodged all tree limbs and jumped all logs. She dashed faster as we approached a river. At the very edge of the bank, she jumped. The jump flew us all the way to the other side. She neatly landed on the other bank, never skipping a beat.

Kuroyasha turned to follow the river. We ran along the water, going upstream. As she ran, I allowed my thoughts to wander back to the Human World. Was everyone there okay? Yami and Mizu? I was scared that something would happen to them while they were unprotected. And what about our parents? I wondered what was going through their minds then…

I shook my head. I didn't have time to think about that at that moment. I was on a mission, and I had to get it done.

After half an hour of running we finally broke away from the trees, into open land. Up ahead of us, I saw a small cottage next to a river. Next to the cottage, in the river we had followed, there was a water wheel.

Kuroyasha snarled at the sight of Nocturne's house. "Easy, girl," I whispered. She stopped a few yards from the house, and I climbed off of her back.

I felt a little intimidated as I stared at the house. I had never met Nocturne before. I only knew about stories of him from Yoru's adventures in the Sanctuary…would he attack me? Of course these thoughts made Kuroyasha restless. I put a hand on her shoulder.

"Kuroyasha, relax," I said, taking a deep breath. Kuroyasha growled protectively. She dissolved into smoke, and surrounded me. The dust soon vanished and I guessed she returned to me.

I took another deep breath and walked to the door. I knocked. There was no answer at first, but soon a timid voice said, "Who's there?"

"Hey, uh, it's one of Yoru's friends. It's Kairi," I said, at a loss for words.

"Kairi?" The door opened immediately. I almost gasped at how gorgeous he was. He had dark hair that had to have blue in it, and literally, the most perfect face I'd ever seen.

"Yea, I kinda was hoping you could help me with something."

"Come in," he said, opening the door more, allowing me to walk in. I walked in, and he closed the door behind me.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked. I nodded, quickly, and realized how hungry and thirsty I was. He smiled, and quickly went through a door, returning a few minutes later with a tea tray.

He sat it down on a small table, and motioned for me to sit down across from him. I walked to the other seat and allowed myself to put my guard down a little.

Nocturne poured a cup of tea, and handed it to me. "What have you come here for, Kairi-Chan?"

"I came for help. Yoru and our friend have both been wounded in a battle that just recently-"

"The battle of the Valley of Ways?" he asked. "I know of that battle."

"Well, we're camped out near there and we have no food, supplies or medicine," I said. "I was wondering if you would be able to give me some stuff to take back to them...Yoru's wounds are deep," I added the last part because I knew he cared about Yoru most of all. They were close friends.

"Oh, of course," he said, sipping his tea. I sipped mine, and sat it on the plate. He sat his tea on the table and stood. Nocturne walked out of the room again. When he was gone, I glanced around at the plain walls around me. He really didn't have any decorations. There was a window near the door, and nothing else, really.

A small flash back about Yoru came to mind. I remembered her showing me the picture of this very house when the Sanctuary was Negative. I remembered the day very well, for it was when she had finally regained her memories. This made me smile slightly.

Nocturne returned to the room with a leather bag. He handed it to me, and took his seat again. I smiled warmly. "Thank you, Nocturne. I'm really grateful."

He smiled too. "You're welcome, Kairi-Chan," he said. I also wanted to ask him about Ashu-Niisama, where he was, and what had happened after the battle of the Valley of Ways.

"Nocturne? Can I ask you a question?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Yes, what?" he said.

"Where is Ash?" I asked. He faltered a little, like he wasn't expecting me to actually ask it.

"I...well, he..." Nocturne stuttered.

"Where is he?" I repeated, still curious and slightly worried. He gave me a constricted look.

"Well...after the battle, Ash had won it, by the way...My master was furious. Ash was leaving with his troops, when Elliot-Sama got him..." My hand flew to my mouth in shock. My head automatically shook no. No!

"Where is he?" I demanded after several long moments of silence. Nocturne looked at me in the eyes.

"Elliot took him back to his castle. He's in the dungeon with the other prisoners." My head pounded, almost painfully. My King was in the castle of his enemy. The thought filled my mind, and I snapped before I could try to calm down.

"NO!" I screamed, standing up. I felt tears of panic fill my eyes. _No, not my Onii-sama...not Ash...Kiyo...no..._, my thoughts were jumbled and messy as I thought in denial. I shook my head, trying to clear it.

"Kairi-Chan, calm down!" Nocturne urged.

"Calm down? _Calm down_?" I screamed. "My _brother_ is in my immortal enemy's dungeon!"

"Kairi-Chan..." he sighed. "Ash is fine. Elliot is just trying to make him surrender..."

I heard an edge to his voice, and began to feel even more panicked. "What's he doing to Ashu-Niisama?"

"I...can't tell you," Nocturne said after awhile. I felt screams building in my throat, before I could stop them, they were echoing through the house.

"Where is his castle? Where is Ashu-Niisama!" I screamed jumping up and down like a child that couldn't get her way in a toy store. I felt my world being washed away, and felt all the blood trickle from my face. I had to find him. I had to save him. My heart pounded in my chest violently as the thoughts drowned everything else out.

"Kairi-Chan, please calm down," he whispered. I looked at him, and I could see he was upset. I took a deep breath.

"Okay...okay," I breathed. "Do you have a bathroom or something?" He nodded quickly, mumbling in Japanese to himself. The words he mumbled translated to: _Elliot's going to kill me._

I followed him into what had to be a living room, and into another room that had a small bed, a desk and small chair to match it. Another door from that room, lead us to a bathroom where he left me alone.

My mind was moving in such a blur that I couldn't comprehend my surroundings. The bathroom wasn't too large, but not too small either. I remember it was based on the theme of the color sky blue.

"Thanks," I muttered, closing the door behind me. I looked into the mirror and froze in place. A girl with light pink hair stared back at me.

My mouth fell open at the same time her's did. I realized _this_ was my reflection. My hair was long and pink, braided to my waist. My hair was held by a cross. My eyes shined a light blue color.

My neck was adorned with a lush ribbon, holding the charm that protected my mind. I had a black chain that held my Best Friend's Charm. I smiled. I also was wearing bracelet that said,

Shugo Kairi no Yomi to Kiyo to Yoru.

I looked at my outfit to find it pink and brown. I had a brown band with pink frills just below my shoulder on my upper arm. My shirt was a pink tank top, and I had a six part trench coat that flapped as I walked. I had short shorts on under a skirt. I had black combat boots just above my ankles. I looked like a kick ass Guardian.

I shook my head and watched my hair bounce with the movement. I smiled, so happy that I knew what I looked like. Then, reality hit me in the head. Ash was trapped in Elliot's dungeon. I moaned.

I quickly walked out of the bathroom and back into the bedroom, easily forgetting what I had gone in there to do: throw water on my face. I was about to burst through the bedroom door and into the living room, until I heard voices and stopped immediately.

"Where's the girl?" and unfamiliar voice hissed. I stopped breathing.

"What girl, Lightning-Sama?" I heard Nocturne say.

"I hear another heart beat here. Would it happen to be the Queen's Guardian?" The voice was a man's. His voice was deep, and very soft. He sounded dangerous, and yet I felt my heart rate increase. His voice was sexy as hell. I mentally slapped myself.

"I have no girl here, Lightning," Nocturne said, icily. I heard a laugh, and it must have been the man named Lightning. I wouldn't repeat what I said before...

"Are you sure about that, Nocturne?" Lightning's sensual voice sounded closer than before, and I didn't risk the sound of gulping.

"Yes," Nocturne said. At that moment a felt a sharp pain in my head, and knew Nocturne had entered my mind. _Kairi, leave now! Or he'll get you!_

I quickly and as quietly as I possibly could went to the nearest window in Nocturne's room. I pulled it open, and jumped out.

"Ima Koi, Kuroyasha!" I whispered fiercely as I fell. She landed right below me, and I hit her back. The second we touched, she dashed forward. Her speed made me hold on tighter than before for the fear of falling off of her back.

_Hold on tighter!_ Her voice told me and I did as she said. Her speed increased even more (if it was possible...)

"Who was that?" I whispered in her ear.

_That was Lightning. He's one of Elliot's most elite Vampires. He once ruled over the Vampires in the Sanctuary. He's the commander for the Vampires in Elliot's army._

I felt fear trickle into my body, and found something more disturbing than the news I had just heard. I liked it. Who was this Lightning guy? Was he something to me in a past life or something?

I shuddered, and Kuroyasha stopped a few minutes later. "Where are we?" I asked.

_Hollow Dune._

I nodded, and she faded into me. I landed on my feet from the air I was now in. I looked around, and remembered this was where Cheshire was revived. I was on a flat grassy area, mostly surrounded by trees, except for an opening in the trees making a path out of the forest, and a cave. How the hell am I supposed to get to Fenrir? That _is _where Elliot was, right?

_Yes, he moved to Fenrir._

"Thank you, Kuroyasha," I said, walking forward. I followed the path out of the forest and continued walking until I came upon another scar on the land.

I felt bile rise in the back of my throat and forced it back down. This was sick. They were literally killing each other. There wouldn't be a Sanctuary or Paranormal World left if we didn't stop this.

I shook my head, disgusted. I walked forward into the ash and rubble. It was old, thank goodness. I looked around, only to find no change in the other directions.

I sat down on a rock letting the fact that Ash was captured sink in. How was I going to save him? Surely, Fear was pissed right now. She was probably preparing an army to storm Elliot's palace. Damn, that couldn't happen. I wasn't for sure if we would win, especially with many soldiers. We wouldn't have the advantage of it being near our own turf…

Damn it. I stood, and kicked a rock. It flew forward, extremely fast and hit an old burnt wall of what could have been a house in a village.

I began walking away, leaving the ash and death behind me. I walked to a hill over-looking the village.

I looked down on what could have been a very peaceful place at one time. I could imagine little kids running and playing, laughing and talking. I could see their parents scolding them for being so loud when there were neighbors trying to rest.

I could see little children playing with their pets, and tossing balls back and forth. The image was beautiful, like a peaceful pond with nothing disrupting the smooth surface.

That is, until a heard movement from the village. Then the ripples broke the image.


	5. First Encounter

_**~Chapter Four: First Encounter~**_

Kuroyasha immediately reacted. _Kairi, get down!_

I immediately dropped to the ground, and crawled to the nearest tree I could find. I peeked out from behind the tree to see what had made the noise.

A young man that could only be in his teens was standing in the ashes on the ground. He had dark hair that came to about the same length as Ashu-Niisama's, and was abnormally pale, meaning he could only be a Vampire. He was wearing a black cloak that swept to the ground and dragged behind him. The hood was down. Underneath the cloak, I could see combat boots, and black skinny jeans. He had a tight black shirt on, and gloves on his hands. The gloves had no fingers, and covered his hands only.

He was looking around, as if he were being followed. He bent down where I had just been standing and let his hand graze the ash. He then lifted his hand to his nose, I'm guessing, to smell the scent left there.

_Who is that, Kuroyasha?_ I mentally whispered, even though I knew he couldn't hear my thoughts.

That_ is Lightning. He is powerful and a danger to you and your protectants._

I only stared at him, feeling only curiosity. I shook my head, trying to clear it. I watched him carefully as he looked at my footprints. I didn't dare to breathe. Suddenly, his head snapped up to where I was hiding behind the tree. I gasped, and froze as his eyes met mine.

They were a warm, deep blue color. They cut right into me like a wound. I couldn't look away from him. He rose from the ground slowly, very precisely.

I stood, too, still unable to take my eyes away from his. In a blurred motion he had a sword in his hand. It had intricate designs on the blade, and was curved in some parts like the outer bade of my Kuroyasha. On the handle, I saw Elliot's crest.

I gasped involuntarily. Kuroyasha didn't wait to be summoned. She appeared in my hands, scythe form. A smirk formed on his lips, and I came out from behind the tree.

"State your name, young one," he said, in that deep voice from before. I stood tall and strong, knowing he couldn't find out my name. I'd have to bluff my way out of this one.

"Who wants to know?" I asked.

Lightning smirked, and said, "Lightning."

I nodded slowly. "I'm Ri." I picked the name from Yomi. At school, we had been talking about nicknames and she wanted to call me Ri instead of Kairi for short.

"Ri. Well, would that happen to be a nickname your friends call you?" he asked. Kuroyasha mentally growled.

_ Setzan, Kuroyasha, setzan._ It meant calm down. _Setzan _was a language I seen in a James Horner movie, _Avatar._

"No, that's my name. Ri Eienyuuki," I said. _Eienyuuki_ meant forever snow. Maybe it would throw him off my trail.

"Whose side are you on in this war?" he asked, showing no means of lowering his weapon.

"Obviously, I'm on the Sanctuary side. Why else would I be in the Sanctuary?" I said, trying to sound calm and playful.

He thought for a moment and seemed to relax. He lowered his weapon a little. I allowed this, too. I walked down the little hill to get a better look at his eyes. They were so...deep...

"I was sent here to find Queen Kiyo Everdusk's Guardian. Have you seen her?" Lightning asked.

An idea occurred to me and I smiled slightly. "No. So, is she a good Guardian? I haven't heard much about her."

"She's merely a beginner, but has the heart and passion of an Elite Guardian. If her skills were honed to their max, she would make a Guardian fit for Master Elliot himself."

I didn't let the disgust show on my face from the last comment. "Ah. She must be a tough enemy to defeat," I said.

"Yes, well, I'm sure I could take her," Lightning said, shrugging a bit. I nodded. "Where are you going?" he asked, after a few moments of silence.

"Uh, I'm looking the Valley of Ways," I said picking the first place that came to my mind. Ironically enough, it was the place the battle had taken place yesterday.

"Why don't you come to Master Elliot's palace? You look like you need to freshen up, Ri," Lightning said, kindly. He moved his cloak, revealing a sword holder. He slipped his sword back there, and smiled at me. The smile made me dizzy with an overwhelming feeling of something I had never felt before. What the hell..?

"I really can't. I have friends that are supposed to be meeting me. Thank you-" I suddenly felt a sharp pain twist through my entire body. I felt myself falling.

"Ri!" Lightning gasped. I screamed out and felt his hands on my arm. The touch sent waves of electricity through me.

_You're lying to him? That isn't a good idea. He will find out soon enough, and come to murder you._

I hadn't heard this voice for such a long time.

_Negative? Is that you?_

_Yes, Kairi. It's Negative._

_ What's happening to me?_

_ Someone is trying to possess you, most likely Midnight. Do you wish for me to help you?_

_ YES!_ My voice was a scream in my head.

_Kairi!_ Kuroyasha screamed in my head followed by a worried hint of Lancer.

Then, I felt a sudden relief, but found it hard to open my eyes. I felt cool air blowing my hair, and strong arms around me. I struggled to open my eyes, and decided, for once, to just give into the blackness waiting right outside my mind to take over me.

My eyes opened, and I sat straight up, gasping and sweating. I looked around the room I was now in. I was sitting on a bed, and my Kuroyasha was lying next to me in scythe form.

I took a deep breath, and saw that Lightning was sitting in a chair across the room.

"Hey Ri," he said, smiling. "Good to see you moving again. You really were screaming quite loudly."

I sank back onto the bed, and asked a question I already knew the answer to.

"Where am I?" I whispered, fearing the answer.

"Master Elliot's Palace. I brought you here after you fainted. You were screaming and thrashing," he said simply.

I felt the color leave my face. I hid my fear with a smile. "That was nice of you. I heard that we have the King of the Paranormal World captured. Is this true?"

Lightning smirked and said, "Yes. It is. They may have won the battle, but we will win this war." I didn't let myself shudder.

"Can I see him?" I asked forcing myself to sound hopeful. His face turned thoughtful.

"I suppose you can," he said. "But first, are you okay?"

I nodded. He smiled and rose to his feet. I allowed Kuroyasha to return to me before I stood, too, and he walked from the room. I prayed that Trace wouldn't be wandering around the castle. He would recognize me easily, even if I did look different. He would recognize my scent.

I followed Lightning down the halls that lead us from the room. We continued to turn million's of times, until finally we came to a staircase. I followed him down it, then down another. This led to some kind of room. People were eating at stone tables, and chatting about the loss of yesterday.

Lightning continued walking as people saluted him, muttering, "Master Lightning," or "Lightning-Sama." I didn't comment, and we soon exited the room to be led down more stairs.

After weaving hallways, and going down plenty of staircases, we came to a big metal door. Lightning muttered something in a language I didn't know. He pushed the door open, and a stone stairwell lit by torches. He motioned for me to go first, and I slowly descended the stairs.

He followed and I found it was abnormally dark. My eyes adjusted, and I found the end of the staircase. It opened to a stone floor, and I saw jail-like cells with bars. I began to feel scared. Guards were sitting around chatting lazily. I felt Lightning grab my arm, again feeling the shock from it. He took lead, pulling forward.

When we reached the last cell, he stopped, and let my arm go. I looked into the cell, and felt fear and panic consume my being.

Ashu-Niisama's hands were chained together, and he was sitting on a metal bed-looking thing. He didn't bother looking up, thinking it was just some other person from Elliot's Elite Guard, here to tease and taunt him.

"So, this is him. The King of the Paranormal World," Lightning bragged. The fact that whoever was down here with Lightning didn't know who he was, caught his attention. He looked up, and gasped when his eyes landed on me.

"Ah," is all I could manage to say. Ashu-Niisama gave me a warning glance that meant "Get out of here, right now."

A young man suddenly ran from the top of the stairs, and over to us out of the dank darkness. "Master Lightning, Master wishes to see you," he said, bowing.

Lightning groaned. "Ri, do you mind staying here alone for a few moments?"

"Yea, I'm fine here," I said, quickly. I needed to talk to Ashu-Niisama. Alone. He smiled gratefully and said, "I'll return shortly."

He then left with the man.

I turned to Ash, and waited for them to be gone. "Ash! Are you okay? Are you hurt?" I demanded.

"Why the hell are you here? You're in the heart of your enemies!" Ash hissed.

"I'm here to save you! Would you rather it be Kiyo here?" I snapped. "When she finds out, she'll have a whole barn! I won't be able to stop her! She's the Queen Phoenix for goodness sake!"

"You can't save me! You have to leave! Tell Fear, she'll be able to do something about this. You're only Human, Kairi! You can't do anything!" he said. I felt my pride slipping, and began to rethink my Guardianship again. Then, I mentally slapped myself. No, I was a Guardian, and I _needed_ to get Ashu-Niisama out of here.

"I _have _to! I have to before Kiyo finds out!" I said, fiercely.

"If you don't leave, and you get caught, Elliot will have you killed," he snarled. I clenched my teeth in frustration.

"I won't leave you here. I won't let them hurt you or kill you, Ash! You're my brother, and I love you to death! I can't let you just die! I can't let Kiyo lose you! Or Yomi lose you! You have to _think_ Ash! _Think!_ Without you, you know the Paranormal World will fall! You can't stay in here!" I said, letting all the courage and strength run through my words that I could even though I felt like crying instead.

"You aren't strong enough..." he finally whispered.

"I'll come back for you," I whispered, feeling Lightning's presence coming from the stairs.

He was soon beside me, and saying, "I am sorry. Master Elliot wanted to speak to me."

"What does Master Elliot want to do with him?" I asked, trying to sound indifferent.

"He's planning on starving him. That is, until he surrenders. And if he doesn't, then he will probably just die," Lightning said. My whole world spun.

"Oh." I felt sick. I needed to go. "Uh...I really have to go meet my friends now, Lightning. They are probably waiting for me as we speak," I said.

I glanced at Ash, and he glared at me. I looked back at Lightning. He smirked, and said, "Well, I can arrange for you to leave now. You do seem better than before."

I nodded, and noticed something white in another cell. I glanced behind Lightning's shoulder to get a better look.

I almost gasped.

Negative was sitting on the floor, looking right at me. His white hair looked messy and tangled, and his red and green eyes looked weak. I twitched. He smiled, sadly. How had he gotten in here? Was he also captured with Ash? Or was he captured before the battle? My head spun with questions.

"Come, Ri," Lightning said, motioning me forward. I followed him reluctantly, but I never took my eyes off Negative. His gaze followed me until I was out of sight.

We walked up many stairs, finally coming to a room, with a door. He motioned to the door. "This is a way to leave. May you be safe on your journey, Ri."

I nodded and smiled thanks, quickly leaving. "_Ima Koi_!" I called when I had some distance from the castle. The door had to be a back way of getting into the castle considering it led me into a forest. The front of the palace led into a town, with houses and stores.

Kuroyasha darted forward with me on her back. She dashed through the woods, and we didn't talk until an hour or so had passed.

_It's very foolish to go back to Elliot's Palace. You know Fear can take care of this. You shouldn't even worry about him._

"Kuroyasha, I can't just keep this from Kiyo. She'd find out anyways, hell, she probably already knows. She's probably listening to my thoughts as we speak. She's going to find out. And when she does, she's going to use every ounce of power she has to get to Ash. She'll use Haiiroyasha, Axel, and even her Phoenix powers, which wouldn't end well. She isn't finished transforming," I said.

Kuroyasha didn't respond. She knew it was her job to keep me and my protectants safe, even if it meant letting me go back to Elliot's castle.

Finally, she just said, _I will follow you, wherever you may be going, Kairi._ And I felt how loyal she was to me. I felt her strength, and I knew we could get Ashu-Niisama out of that dreaded place.

We ran for hours and I finally nodded off on her back.

_ Kairi, we're here._

I sat up instantly. We were running towards a big flat area. I realized this is where I had left Kiyo, Yoru, and the others. As soon as we came to their sides, Kuroyasha vanished, and I landed on my feet.

I glanced around to see Yoru, Cheshire, Lancer, and Axel sleeping. Kiyo looked up at the sound of my approach, and gasped at the sight of me. She glared, and jumped up.

"Where the hell have you been! I've been so worried about you! I didn't know what to think when I woke up, found my Guardian missing, and Yoru saying, 'She's fine, just trust me' and 'She said she didn't want you to know'! I freaked out, and if it weren't for Yoru being wounded, I would have come looking for you! But, no, I stayed with Yoru! By the way, did you know he wound on her shoulder and abdomen was infected? And the other one on her side! Yea, so you leave her here to fend for herself as she bleeds to death!" She was screaming with tears of anger and hurt.

"Hey, hey, calm down!" I said. "It's okay. I'm okay. I went to Nocturne's house to get medical supplies." She collapsed in my arms, sobbing now.

"Ash hasn't come yet, and Yoru's literally bleeding to death. I don't know if I have the strength to heal her," she cried.

I put my arms around her, and pulled her to where Yoru was laying. I bent over beside her, and noticed she was paler.

"Yoru. Wake up," I said, gently shaking her. I could see her clothes were blood soaked, and she was covered in dried blood.

She moved slightly, and then her eyes flickered open. "Kairi," she said.

"Hey," I said, not knowing what else to say. She looked so weak.

"You're back."

"Yea and I brought supplies from Nocturne," I said, pulling the bag off my shoulder. I pulled the blanket off of her, and gasped as I saw how much more blood she had lost.

"Kiyo, help her take her clothes off," I whispered, trying not to let the horror I was feeling show.

Kiyo helped her take her trench coat off, and I gasped. Her pale skin was crimson red. There was a deep gash from her right shoulder, stretching all the way to her rib cage. On the opposite side of her main cut, was one much less deeper, on her side. This one was only a graze.

"Yoru..." I whispered. I felt tears fill my eyes, and I quickly fumbled through the bag to see if I had any alcohol. I found some, and said, "This is going to hurt. I'm sorry." I hesitated for only a second.

She closed her eyes tightly, and I drizzled some of it onto her wounds. Her groans penetrated the silent air. I used a rag to wipe her blood up. She screamed out as I poured more onto the wounds.

I cleaned them as best as I could, and bandaged her abdomen and shoulder. I put our medical supplies away, and threw the bag to where the others were still sleeping.

Yoru was sweating and panting, as I helped her lay back down. "Damn it, I did this. I should have stopped it..." I muttered.

"Shut up," she replied. "You had to. You couldn't have done anything more...did you...find him?" she whispered the last part.

My eyes widened, and I nodded. She nodded, too. "You have to tell her." She hadn't even asked for information on it. From my silence, I'm sure she understood that it wasn't good news.

I sighed, nodding slightly. How was I going to start this conversation? Just come out straight with it? I guess that was the best thing I could do.

"Kiyo. We need to talk," I whispered. She looked at me, confused, and worried.

"I know where Ash is," I said. Her eyes widened quickly, and she moved closer to me.

"What? Where?" she demanded.

"After the battle, that we won, Elliot got him, and is now holding him hostage in his dungeon," I finished as quickly as I could.

"..._What?"_ she screamed. This time, everyone that _had_ been sleeping, jumped up in surprise. "_My_ Ash is in Elliot's dungeon?" She screamed it so loud that everyone winced, and no one dared to even move. Haiiroyasha appeared next to her, in lion form.

"Kiyo, calm down," I said, quickly.

"Calm down? Calm _down_? _Calm down_?" she yelled, and I felt her Darkness stir restlessly. I quickly countered.

"We can save him!" I shouted. "But you can't be reckless! We have to save him together, but Yoru's wounds have to heal!" I said.

"He'll be dead by then!" she shouted at me. "_My_ Ash will be dead!"

"Not if we save him!"

"We have to go now!" she yelled, Haiiroyasha growled in response.

"We can't just infiltrate Elliot's Castle!" I said.

Kiyo screamed in frustration. "No, no, no, no!"

I hugged her, and her screams became sobs; her Darkness dissipated. "My Ash..." she sobbed.

"Shh..." I whispered. She relaxed in my grip, becoming limp and allowing me to carry her full weight.

"Haiiroyasha, down," I commanded. Reluctantly, she dropped to her stomach and I placed Kiyo beside her.

"No...You really shouldn't have to wait for me. You can go without me," Yoru finally said after a long silence.

"Hell no! We are going to need you. You have to help fight off the guards," I insisted sincerely.

Tsu was now sitting beside Yoru. I shook my head, and Axel soon sat beside Kiyo. She was still crying quietly, but would soon fall asleep.

"This is terrible," I whispered. "Cheshire?"

"Yes, Kairi?" he asked in an almost _chibi_ voice that was high pitched and nice despite our awful surroundings and situation.

"Do you think you could get us some food?" I asked.

"Yes, of course," he said, standing. "But, Tsu has to come."

"Fine," I said. "But please hurry back. Yoru and Kiyo need food."

Tsu turned into his animal form again, and he and Cheshire took off.

I sat beside Yoru and Kiyo, and looked up at the night sky. Today had been a long day. And there was so much going on through my mind. I couldn't think clearly.

A few hours passed, and I was still awake. Yoru and Kiyo had dozed off awhile ago, and I was on the verge of sleep. Kuroyasha was lying beside me in scythe form, ready if we were attacked. Haiiroyasha was curled around Kiyo protectively. Axel lay beside her. Lancer was still where I had ordered him to be: lying close to Yoru. I held Kuroyasha tightly in my arms.

I couldn't wait much longer for Tsu and Cheshire, so I just fell asleep.

The next morning, I awoke to thumping noises. I sat straight up. Tsu and Cheshire came bounding to a stop near us. Tsu turned back into a Human, and Cheshire carried a picnic basket up to me.

He smiled happily, and I said, "Thank you, Cheshire."

Tsu cleared his throat. I laughed, "And you too, Tsu."

I opened the basket and found…well, a lot of food. Yoru began to stir and wake up. She opened her eyes, and looked over at me.

Her skin tone was darkening, making me feel much better. But the dark marks on her cheeks and arms were still there. I shuddered at the thought of them.

I pulled a…strange looking fruit out of the basket, and handed it to her. She smiled weakly, and took it. I grabbed another, and looked at Yoru curiously. "What is this?"

"It's called watsuki fruit," She whispered. I nodded, and bit into it. A sweet unidentified taste filled my mouth. It was like no other taste I have ever tasted. I quickly bit into the fruit again, and it was soon gone.

"Okay, I like that one," I laughed. She smiled weakly again, and ate hers. I ate more food, and felt strength running through my body again. I leaned back and held Kuroyasha close to me again. Yoru soon fell asleep again, along with Tsu and Cheshire. They were both lying near her, beside Lancer. I felt they were all safe.

I waited for Kiyo to wake up, and she finally did. Her eyes were still bloodshot from crying. Her blue hair was still neat, and in order. I smiled warmly and reassuringly at her. She smiled weakly, and sat up. Thank God, she had calmed down quite a bit.

I handed her some fruit and pulled a piece of cake out for me. She ate the fruit quickly, as I wrote my name on the cake for memories. It's how we found out his name. I knew Cheshire would be serious about this, but really, I did it for the memory.

I ate it and handed Kiyo more food. She devoured it, and claimed to be full. I sat the basket down, and lay back on the ground. I looked at the sky, searching for crows, or any sign of attack.

Kiyo lay beside me. She sighed and leaned onto my shoulder. I could feel her emotions. They were literally going crazy. She was upset, on so many different levels that it was hard to separate each emotion from the other.

She was sad, angry, depressed, worried, and the list goes on. I hugged her. "Hey, he's a Paranormal King. I'm sure he's fine. He's probably kicking Elliot's ass right now," I joked.

Kiyo smiled with no humor. "Yea."

Then my thoughts were led to Yomi, one of our closest friends. She was still in the Human World, alone, and probably freaking out about our absence. She was probably wondering why I wasn't answering my cell phone.

Yomi wouldn't sleep until she knew we were okay. But could I really go back and see if she was okay? Should I take the chance of leaving and not being able to return to the Sanctuary? I didn't know the answer. But as a Guardian, I knew I had to go check on her.

I sighed, and stood. "I need to check on Yomi. She's probably having a whole barn right now. We're missing in the Human World. Sayo is the only one who has a connection to us. Yomi is probably going insane, especially because of her formalness," I laughed at the last part.

"Yea. I'll come. Haiiroyasha can stay here with Shiroyasha, Tsu, Cheshire, Lancer, and Axel protecting Yoru," she said, standing.

I stood, too, knowing we would have to make this a quick trip. I put some distance from me, and the resting others. I threw my scythe into the air. She flipped several times before erupting into her lion form.

Kiyo smiled, and said, "Show off." I rolled my eyes, and hopped onto her back. I pulled Kiyo up with me, and she sat in front so she wouldn't fall off. Kuroyasha took off.

_Where are we going?_ Kuroyasha asked, as the windswept around us. Kiyo gasped when she realized she could hear her, too.

I smirked, and thought, _To Nanonalie. Back to the Human World._ Kuroyasha raced forward, and we were soon where I had first entered the Sanctuary. The golden field of wheat from before stretched behind us, and Kuroyasha came to a stop.

She disappeared into me, and we fell to our feet. I looked back at Kiyo. "Things are going to be hectic. We're wanted there, and it's going to be hard to get to Yomi's house."

She nodded fiercely. I took her hand and stepped into the creek, not even bothering to take off my combat boots. "Nanonalie?" I asked, as we waded into the pool of water.

She appeared in front of me, in all her majesty. I smiled. "Hello young, Kairi. And you are Kiyo," She said, smiling and nodding to both of us. I smiled.

"We have to go back to the Human World for a few minutes," I said.

"Yes, of course. You may go," She said, waving her hand. We stepped forward and the image began to fade to something else. I felt the magic leaving me, and soon was standing in a deep pool of water, barefoot and normal.

I looked over to see the Kiyo I knew, standing in the water beside me. I walked out of the deep water and into the normal ankle deep water. Kiyo followed me, and I winced as I stepped. I still had the cut on my foot. I grabbed onto the branch of the nearest tree, and lifted my foot to get a good look. My flesh was cut, but it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

"Get on my back, and I'll get us out of here," I said. Kiyo nodded quickly.

I picked Kiyo up, piggy-back-ride style. I waded through the creek, carrying Kiyo and ignoring the ache in my foot every time I stepped forward. "Hey, is your foot okay?" Kiyo asked.

"Yea, I'm fine," I said, quickly jumping out of the water. I saw my shoes, and slipped them on. Kiyo climbed down, and we both made our way through the trees and towards my Grandfather's house. As I walked through the silent forest, a flash of the man in white Ronin clothes with the silver hair. I shuddered. Trying to think of something else, I concentrated on pulling off a two hour ride to Yomi's house without getting caught. It was broad daylight and I knew that would cause us problems. I pulled the Gator key out of Eleanor's pouch (my pendulum) and we snuck up to the driveway through the woods.

I pulled Kiyo with me, knowing Carol was here. Poppaw was at work, so we could easily leave and be fast about it. I jumped into the driver seat, and Kiyo got in the passenger's seat.

Under normal circumstances, Kiyo and I would be going on a joy-ride in the Gator. Today, we were racing against time.

I put the key into the ignition and started the Gator. "Go!" Kiyo said, fiercely. I stomped on the gas and we jerked forward. We sped off into the woods. I had no plan, and I knew we'd be caught if we drove on the road.

I drove through the woods and ended up in the horse field up the road. I silently cursed under my breath. We were really going to have issues getting all the way to Yomi's house on just the Gator. Kiyo opened the gate, and we had no choice but to ride on the road. I drove onto the pavement and we gunned the thing.

We somehow made it to the end of Hardy Road, and then pulled onto route 122. By this time, I knew I couldn't drive on the road, so I pulled onto the grass beside the road. We rode the side for a long time, and finally got to Burnt Chimney. I was starting to get jumpy now as more civilization appeared.

We got all the way to Boones Mill, and was feeling relieved when we saw Naft Road, the road that Yomi and Yoru lived on. We pulled into the empty corn field and drove. We passed Yoru's house, and drove all the way to the winding driveway that belonged to Yomi. I felt so relieved when I saw her driveway. I parked the Gator on the side of the road, and Kiyo and I darted into the woods.

We circled her house and waited on the edge of the forest. We watched for Yomi to come outside. Time passed, and I became paranoid that someone would see us or someone would notice the Gator that was parked and poorly hidden near the main road.

After about thirty minutes, Kiyo growled in frustration. Finally, the door swung open, and Yomi walked onto the porch. She had a phone glued to her ear, and was demanding where Yoru, Kiyo, and I were. She paused to wait for an answer, and hung the phone up in frustration.

"Why the heck did you go without telling me!" she yelled.

"Yomi!" I called, quickly. She gasped, and looked around.

"Oh, no. No, I'm going insane…" she said, miserably. "I didn't expect you to actually answer me…"

"No, we're right here," I said, stepping into the yard. When her eyes fell on me, she jumped in surprise and anticipation. She ran down her porch stairs, and flew into me. I hugged her, and she slapped the crap out of me. "Ouch!" I exclaimed.

"What the heck, dude! You are wanted in the Human World! They have search parties and all kinds of crap looking for you!" she hissed.

"I had to find Yoru and Kiyo! They were like, murdering each other!" I said.

"I can't believe you went to the _S_ without me!" she said, using our cover-up name for the Sanctuary. "Wait, murdering?"

"I don't have time to explain right now. We have to move!" I said, glancing around.

"Are you coming back with us?" Kiyo asked, stepping out of the trees. Yomi only hesitated long enough to look behind her at her house.

"Yes!" Yomi said, immediately after looking back at us. She hugged Kiyo tightly, looking relieved. I grabbed her arm, and we walked back into the trees. We went back to the Gator and miraculously made it home without getting seen or caught. Luck was on our side today.

"So what's the plan?" she whispered as I pulled the key out and put her back into Eleanor's pouch. That could come in handy later if we ever needed a getaway in the Human World.

"We have to get to the Sanctuary. Fast. Yoru needs us," I whispered, as the garage door began to open. "Dammit! Get into the trees!" I whispered, quickly pulling them both into the forest.

We ran back to the creek without a second glance behind us. We went right to the pool where I met Nanonalie. "Guardian Nanonalie, I ask for permission to enter the Sanctuary," I said. I felt myself being engulfed in the same magic as before. Kiyomi gasped loudly, and I guessed she could feel the magic, too. Kiyo was too worried to say anything.

I watched as the image in front of us began to fade. I closed my eyes, and let it engulf us.

I opened my eyes to see the beautiful wheat field from before.

I glanced at Yomi, and gasped out loud. She had long golden hair, up in pig tails that came all the way to her knees. Her eyes were a clear sky blue color, and she had little cat ear clips at the start of her pigtails.

She had a blue outfit. The shirt and the skirt seemed to be connected, but I couldn't be for sure. A scarf-like belt wrapped around her waist, and hung to her ankles. She had long leg warmers that frilled at her thighs. I smiled, and said, "Wow, Kiyomi, you look awesome."

"Dude! Your hair is like amazing!" Yomi said, excitedly.

_She is quite excited. I am not surprised, I'm sure you reacted similarly._ Kuroyasha's voice said.

I chuckled. "We need to hurry!" Kiyo said, and Kuroyasha exploded from me. Yomi's jaw dropped. "Quickly!" Kiyo demanded, running forward, and jumping. She landed on her back.

"That was epic…" Yomi whispered.

I pulled Yomi with me, and jumped onto my Kuroyasha's back. I made sure they were in front of me, and Kuroyasha took off. We sped quickly for awhile, and came to halt at our little campsite.

I moved my legs to one side before she had stopped walking, and pushed off of Kuroyasha's side. I landed on my feet, and ran to Yoru's side. She was breathing deeply, and sweat was forming on her face.

Yomi ran up next to me, and demanded, "What happened to her?" I whimpered.

"She got hurt in battle…because of me…" I whispered.

"No, it wasn't you! It was because of Midnight and Barasuishou," Kiyo said. I closed my eyes.

"Kairi?" Yoru whispered. I opened my eyes, immediately.

"Hey," I said. Her eyes were open now, and there were tears filling them. Crap, she never cried. I knew she had to be in some serious pain.

"You brought Yomi," she whispered. Yomi had tears running down her face, and I could feel Kiyo was about to cry. Yomi looked away, unable to handle the gruesome.

"Yea. She wanted to come," I whispered. I didn't realize I was crying until my tears hit Yoru's hand.

"Why are you guys crying?" she asked, gruffly. No matter what was happening you could always count on Yoru breaking the tension. "There's no reason in crying."

"I have to heal her," Kiyo whispered suddenly. Yomi and I looked up at her, and she was serious. She had that face that said, 'Nothing's going to change my mind, so back off.'

I nodded and moved to Yoru's other side. I slowly moved the blanket from her stomach and abdomen area. She was bleeding through the bandages I had wrapped her in.

I unraveled them and winced when Yoru gasped in pain. "I'm sorry," I whispered. She shook her head, looking exasperated.

"Hurry up and get it over with," she said roughly.

I pulled the rest of her bandages off, and Tsu hovered near us. He was looking at Yoru, worry and fear both etched across his face. Kiyo took a deep breath and let her hand hover above Yoru's wound.

She began mumbling some strange words in a language none of us knew. I could see the strain between both of them. I watched as Kiyo grew more concentrated. Yoru's wound began closing slowly. It was literally like magic. I had to be dreaming. Soon I'd wake up, and I'd be alone in the Human World again. Kiyo and Yoru would still be here.

But, as I watched her wound slowly scab and become healed, I knew I was truly in the Sanctuary with them. I looked at Yoru's face that was now looking peaceful and much more comfortable. I wiped my tears away, and smiled.

"We're going to be okay," I finally whispered. Kiyo pulled back and stopped healing. She let her arms fall to the ground in exhaustion, and she leaned onto me for support. I automatically wrapped my arms around her, and held her weight for her.

"Any better, Yoru?" she asked.

Yoru smirked. "Much better, Kiyo. Thank you."

"You're welcome," she whispered, and with that she fell right to sleep. I picked her up, and carried her to where Haiiroyasha was now laying. I placed Kiyo between her furry paws. She nodded to me as if saying she would protect her from here.

I walked back to Yomi, who was staring wide eyed at our lions. "Who is _that_?" she asked, pointing to the gray lion lying close to Kiyo.

"Haiiroyasha. She is the younger sibling of Kuroyasha and Shiroyasha," I said. "And, apparently, she chose Kiyo to save Yoru and me from ourselves."

"Man, you guys have awesome scythes, I feel all left out," Yomi said.

_Not true, young one. You wield twin daggers, Forgiveness and Judgment. _Kuroyasha's voice echoed through my head, and before I could stop myself I was repeating her exactly.

"Not true, young one. You wield twin daggers, Forgiveness and Judgment." The words weren't my own, they belonged to my Kuroyasha. Yomi gave me a look that said, 'What the heck.'

"That was…Kuroyasha…" I whispered. They both looked at me in disbelief, and no one talked for awhile.

"Wait, I have twin daggers? Awesome!" Yomi shouted. With a strong look of concentration, Yomi tried to summon them. "Judgment! Forgiveness!" Her hands flew into the air. And I swear it was so amazing.

Light flew from her hands, so blinding I had to squint, and when I looked back at her hands, two daggers were being held.

"That is so cool," she said, after a long pause. Yoru and I laughed.

"Okay, sit down. Yomi, we have to talk," I said. She nodded, letting her daggers fade into her as Kuroyasha always did. I sat next to Yoru, and prepared to tell her the entire story of what had happened since I had come to the Sanctuary.

We told her every little detail, and the most important parts. We told about me finding Tsu and Cheshire, and about Lancer and Axel being real, meaning Archer must be alive, too. Then, we told her about the Grim, Barasuishou, and Midnight. I also told her how I'd been the one to wound Yoru, but only under Kuroyasha's influence. I then, told them about Ashu-Niisama and Negative, going into great details, and then finishing with what had happened today.

I didn't mention Lightning. I would wait for Kiyo to be awake to tell them about that.

"We have to save Ashu-Niisama! And Negative!" Yomi said, desperately. I nodded, and looked at Yoru, then Kiyo.

"We'll go tomorrow." I said, and with that, we watched the sunset, and soon, fell asleep.


	6. Saving AshuNiisama

_**~Chapter Five: Saving Ashu-Niisama~ **_

I woke up to a sound near me. I opened my eyes. It was still dark outside, and the stars were twinkling brightly. I turned to see what the noise was. I gasped. I sat straight up, pulling my scythe off the ground.

Not far from us, I saw golden eyes. I jumped up, and stared at whatever it was. It didn't move. It only stood there, and after a moment, I relaxed a little. It didn't seem to want to hurt me.

I took a cautious step forward, and it still didn't react. I walked a bit closer, then closer, until I was right in front of it.

Whatever it was, it was about the size of Kuroyasha. It was furry, and walked on all fours. Its ears were perking up, alert, and ready for everything. I reached out slowly to touch the thing. I noticed a collar-like thing on the beast's neck.

Elliot's crest hung on the collar. I gasped, and flinched away for a second, but then continued forward. Instinct? Or maybe just stupidity.

It bent its head down, as if to give permission for me to touch it. When my hand came in contact, my vision disappeared, and I was tossed into an empty room. I landed with a thud on the ground, skidding across the floor. I then, jumped up blindly, ready for attack.

None came, and I soon felt a familiar presence. I turned immediately, and saw Lightning standing casually in the middle of the room.

I really didn't know what to say, so I waited for him to talk.

"Ri," he said, cheerfully.

I smiled, and hid all my nervousness. "Hey, Lightning."

"I came with news. The beast you saw before was my Fangira. He's my sword, or rather, wolf."

"Oh, well, he seems nice," I commented, not letting my voice waver. He smirked.

"Yes, when he is commanded to be," Lightning looked amused, and I only could imagine what he had done with Fangira.

"So, what news do you have?" I asked. I tried to push the images of Lightning killing people with his Fangira out of my head.

"Oh." His mouth curved down in a frown. "Master Elliot plans to hurt the prisoner today. At twelve he plans to…maybe I shouldn't go into details," Lightning said, looking away from my face. It wasn't until then that I realized I was dizzy and feeling faint.

"Oh," was all I could manage to say. He continued to look away, and finally just looked back up at me.

"I thought you would want to know. I'm not supposed to tell anyone about it, so do keep it to yourself."

I nodded, and he smiled warmly. My pulse quickened and I mentally slapped myself. "I'll let you go now, Ri. I am quite busy," he said, and as he said it, everything began to fade slowly.

I screamed and sat straight up again. Sweat was causing my hair to stick to my forehead. I gasped, breathing shallow breaths, and letting what had just happened sink in. It was a dream. Only a dream. We were fine. Fine.

I leaned back, and realized I had been leaning on Kuroyasha. She was in lion form, and was sleeping deeply. The stars twinkled above us, as if it were an ordinary night. I sighed, and curled into Kuroyasha's fur. She made a loud sighing noise in her sleep.

I allowed myself to fall back to sleep despite my fears of having another nightmare.

When I woke, I was the second to wake up. Tsu was up, tending to Yoru's wound. It was now only scar tissue. I sighed in relief. Yoru was still resting, and Tsu looked up at the sound of me moving.

"Hey, Guardian Kairi," he muttered, as he concentrated on getting our supplies together now. He gathered other blankets that weren't being used. Kuroyasha released a long yawn, and rose to her feet. She padded over to Shiroyasha and nudged his shoulder.

He groaned, and yawned, too, finally rising after awhile. They both sat by Yoru's side, waiting for everyone to wake up. Yomi woke up next. She stretched, and saw that I was up.

I handed her some food, and she ate it. We made small talk, and really didn't bring up the fact that we would be invading Elliot's castle that day. Would we be slaughtered? Was our mission futile? I tried not to let these negative thoughts invade my mind. Focusing back on the now, I looked around out little wanna-be campsite.

To my surprise, our servants woke up at that time. After stretching and waking, Lancer stood. "Master Kairi," Lancer greeted me, bowing.

I smiled, and said, "Good morning, Lancer, Axel."

"Lady Kairi," Axel said. Nothing seemed to be at rest, even our close friends that were sleeping. No one spoke jokingly, making a solemn atmosphere envelope us all. Finally, everyone was awake.

We discussed battle plans, and ways to get in and out the quickest. I never mentioned the weird dream or Lightning. I didn't feel like any of it was important. Unfortunately, I was wrong and naïve; something so serious should have been mentioned earlier. That way, I could have spared my whole world from shattering.

I stood to stretch, and walk my muscles loose. We had been sitting for an hour now, and I was getting stiff. I walked around our little area. Walking aimlessly, I found myself in the place my dream happened, and replayed it in my mind.

I shook my head, confused why I would have such a random dream. My eyes flitted around the ground. And I froze. I saw a gleam of something in the grass. I bent down, feeling uneasy. I moved the grass to see what it was that had caught my eye.

The second I saw it, a twisting, stomach flipping feeling erupted inside of me. The collar that had been on Fangira lay in the grass before me. I took a shaky hand, and picked up the collar bearing Elliot's crest.

Unable to control my shaking, I pulled my cell phone out of my pocket, and turned it on. The phone blinked no service, but I didn't worry about that. I looked at the time.

11:30 am.

No, no, no! I shoved my cell phone into my pocket, and opened Eleanor's pouch to put the collar in it. I turned immediately, and ran back to them. "We need to go. Now," I said, urgently, picking up our food supplies and securing it.

"What?" Yomi asked. Yoru and Kiyo gave me questioning looks.

"We have to hurry!" I yelled, and Haiiroyasha rose, as I threw our stuff onto her back.

"What's going on, Kairi?" Kiyo asked, coming to my side and putting a hand on my shoulder.

I quickly helped her onto Haiiroyasha, and said, "They're going to torture him. At twelve o'clock. We have to hurry!" I said, running to Yoru's side.

Shiroyasha was on his feet in seconds, and I helped her onto his back. I ran to the other supplies, and threw it onto Shiroyasha's back. I then, grabbed Yomi and put her on Kuroyasha easily; she weighed nothing in this world! I then jumped onto Kuroyasha as well, and the others stared at me.

"I had a dream about it! And it was real. It wasn't fake! We have to move," I said, and looked at Tsu. "Carry them." I pointed to Axel, Lancer, and Cheshire.

And before he could respond, Kuroyasha darted forward. Shiroyasha and Haiiroyasha followed and I felt icy fear seep into me. I was scared for Ash and my protectants, and I wasn't sure if I could really take down Lightning if it came to that.

We were soon running through a forested area, and I knew it was almost twelve. I checked my cell phone.

11:57.

We had been running for about thirty minutes, and we were still a good ways to go. I groaned in worry, and we sped up.

My hair blew behind me, and I gripped Yomi tighter. We _had _to hurry. Haiiroyasha and Shiroyasha flanked me, and their feet beat against the ground. I don't know how much time had passed before we were arriving in Fenrir.

I saw the castle not far now, and our lions slowed. They dissolved into us, and we took off running towards the castle. Cheshire and Tsu finally caught up to us.

"Run fast enough?" he gasped, breathing deeply. Cheshire was smiling happily.

"We have no time! Get us into the castle," I said. Tsu led us to the castle, quickly hiding as other members of Elliot's Guard passed. When they were gone, he motioned us to follow him. We ran to the back of the castle, and Tsu opened a door.

"Go through here, and take a left. Go down that hall, all the way to the end, and look in the top left of the wall. You will see a picture. Behind the picture, I want you to touch this," he paused to hand me a chain necklace, bearing Elliot's symbol, "and touch it to the wall. A passage will open, and it leads into the dungeons. Get out as fast as you can. If Elliot finds you…there's no stopping your deaths," Tsu finished, not wishing to say it.

I clutched the necklace tightly in my hand, and nodded, going through it several times in my mind. My cell phone told me that it was 12:45 pm. I began to panic, knowing Ash was probably being tortured right now.

"We have to go. Thank you, Tsu, and Cheshire!" I hugged them both quickly, and Tsu said, "Please take care of Yoru!"

"No worries!" I called as I ran into the door. I felt Kuroyasha form in my right hand, and felt Kiyo and Yoru's presence not far behind me. I knew Yomi was following behind them, and sped up as we raced through the halls. We came to a fork in the hall, and turned left, as Tsu had told us.

We continued running until we reached the end of the hallway. I looked around quickly, and found the picture. The picture was of Elliot. It was small and simple. He was holding the Sword of the Sanctuary, and was sitting on a throne, not even bothering to smile.

I leaned Kuroyasha against the wall. I quickly pulled the picture off the wall, tossing it to the ground. I touched the necklace that was in my left hand to the wall exposed. At first nothing happened; until I noticed the wall slowly moving downward.

Surprise didn't make me falter. I grabbed Kuroyasha and motioned them to follow me. No one talked. This was too serious to talk. We had to keep moving.

We made our way through a cob webbed hallway (to my great displeasure), and finally found an arch that had a stairwell. I tiptoed down the stairs, and Yoru stayed close behind. I stopped at the bottom of the stairs, and peeked into the dungeon. It was deserted, and empty except for one cell that no one was guarding.

After a quick observation, and reassurance from Kiyo that no one was down there except the prisoner, I ran out of the stair way, Yomi right on my heels. She was followed by Yoru and Kiyo.

I stopped in front of the cell, and gasped. Negative was lying on the floor, blood seeping out of a wound on his chest. "Negative!" Yomi called. Shock, anger, and worry coated her voice.

He didn't move. I felt my heart rate increase. No, oh goodness, no. Yomi had begun to cry.

"Negative!" I said, urgently. "Negative, come on! Sit up!" He didn't respond to my calls. Kiyo hugged Yomi, pulling her into a tight embrace, even though I knew Kiyo was crying because of Ash, too.

"Negative…" Yomi cried. I ground my teeth together to stop from crying or screaming. I felt the familiar burning sensation rush through me, and thought of a brilliant idea.

"Move. Quickly," I said, motioning them to move. They did, and I took a deep breath. I slowly released some of my fire energy though my fingers. I looked at my fingers and sure enough, they had fire on them. I quickly moved them to the hinges of the iron door. It slowly became softer, and I released more energy to quicken the process.

I finally stopped, and felt the drain it had put me through. Nothing I couldn't handle. I motioned for Yoru (because Kiyo was still comforting Yomi) and realized they were gawking at me.

"Oh…did I mention that?" I asked, guiltily.

"Well, I noticed…but I thought I was so messed up in the head from Midnight that I wasn't seeing right…" Yoru said, still shocked. I shrugged unable to hide a smile. Then, I snapped back to the present situation.

I kicked the door to the cell in, and it gave away easily. It flew into the celled area and hit the back wall. I ran inside, and felt Yomi's presence behind me. She bent down, tears streaking her face.

"Negative! Wake up, Negative!" she cried, shaking him gently. He didn't respond at first. She laid her head on his shoulder. "Negative…please…Don't leave me…" Yomi begged.

There was silence, and suddenly he said, "Kiyomi…"

He slowly opened his eyes, and Yomi gasped, pulling back. She looked at him, her tears still running down her cheeks. "My Kiyomi…" he whispered, putting his hand to her cheek. He winced at the movement.

"Don't push yourself," she whispered, desperately. He smiled weakly.

"I'll be fine…" he whispered, trying to sit up. I put a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at me.  
"No. Lancer! Come to me," I whispered. Lancer appeared before us, and I said, "I need you to take Negative out of here. He's wounded badly, and he's not safe here."

"You go too Axel. Hurry up, and be careful with him. Take him to Tsu and Cheshire," Kiyo said. Axel came out of her and nodded at Lancer.

"Work together. Be nice. Get him to Cheshire and Tsu," I said. Yomi took his hand.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" she whispered. "Cheshire and Tsu will fix you up. We have to save Ashu-Niisama."

"I love you, Kiyomi. Please…be careful," He whispered, desperately. I felt my heart pinch in sadness.

"I love you, too, Negative…" she whispered, more tears running down her face. Kiyo stepped forward, and helped Yomi to her feet. She pulled her into the hallway and out of the cell. Lancer and Axel picked Negative up, and began to move out of the cell.

"Be careful!" I said, and pulled Kiyo with me as I moved forward towards the staircase that let out into the halls Lightning had guided me through.

Yoru and Yomi quickly followed, Yomi a bit more reluctant than Yoru. We ran up the stairs, and I felt the presence of someone walking down the hall. I held Kuroyasha up, blocking them.

_Summon Haiiroyasha, Kiyo._ I thought. She complied, and I gave Yoru and Yomi a look that told them to do the same.

_Judgment! Forgiveness! _I heard Yomi yell in her head. I gasped out loud. Kiyo shot daggers through her eyes at me and Yoru gave me a questioning glance as Yomi's daggers appeared in her hands. The footsteps outside stopped. There was silence and Yoru had Shiroyasha in her hands instantly.

_I heard Yomi's thoughts!_ I thought quickly to Kiyo. I backed away from the door, forcing them back with me. I didn't dare to blink, scared that I would miss something.

The door suddenly busted open. I sprung backwards, pushing them with me. Yoru flanked me immediately, and we prepared for the worst.

A young man's silhouette stood in the doorway. I glared, and looked harder, but my eyes wouldn't adjust to the bright light. I heard the door creak closed, and looked up to see a pale boy with blonde hair. His eyes were blood red, and I shuddered. A Vampire.

"Who are you?" he asked, looking at us like we were joking. I glared, and stepped forward.

"No, you speak first. Who are _you?_" I growled. He smirked, and I hid a shudder.

"Leo. Now you speak," He said, playing along with us.

"None of your business," Yomi said, glaring from behind us. He laughed out loud.

"Do you really think you can…defeat me?" he sneered. I didn't wait another moment. I jumped forward, scythe swinging. He dodged easily, and I let my Kuroyasha guide me. She turned us on the spot, and swung at Leo again. This time, it barely missed him.

Yoru attacked, too, and we double teamed him. He continued dodging our swings, and I began to get irritated. I had to get to Ashu-Niisama.

"Kiyo! Yomi! Go!" I yelled, jerking my head in the direction of the stairs leading to the metal door. They took off running, and Leo snickered.

"That makes you the Queen's Guardian. Hmm…you were ignorant to bring her _here_. But of course, I'm not complaining. It'll be easier to dispatch her," Leo laughed.

I swung as hard as I could, and hit him right in the side. He flew backwards, hitting the wall. "Go!" I shouted to Yoru. She took off running after Kiyo and Yomi. I ran after her, not taking the chance of Leo regaining himself.

Before I closed the now open door, I yelled, "Think twice before you threaten my protectants!" Then I slammed the door shut. Kiyo, Yomi, and Yoru looked at me expectantly, and I nodded.

We took off running down the hall. "Kiyo, which way?" I asked, as we dashed quickly around corners.

"Take these stairs!" she said, pointing to the left. We ran up them, and continued down the hall. I felt another presence, one much more powerful than the one before. I stopped, pulling Kiyo, Yomi, and Yoru behind the corner we had just rounded.

I peeked out to see Midnight walking from a door. Screams were coming from the crevice that was still open, until it closed. She was smiling and laughing quietly to herself, making her night black hair bounce slightly.

_Oh, she bes believe!_ I heard Yomi think. This time I didn't gasp. I was almost prepared for it. But it still alarmed me.

_Kiyo, is that the room they have Ash in?_ I thought, never taking my eyes off of Midnight's now disappearing silhouette. Kiyo nodded, tears threatening to stream down her face. I entered her head, and looked through Kiyo's eyes, through Ash's eyes. It's very complicated to even think about, but it is what occurred.

Ash's Point of View

I felt my hands being bound tightly by silver, burning dully now, compared to the pain the rest of my body was in. I felt the tips of my fangs against my lip. They had come out considering what Elliot, Trace, and Lightning were doing.

They had me chained to the table, and a sword to my rib cage this time. Trace was the one holding it there, instead of Midnight. Finally, _she_ had left.

I wasn't scared about my fate. I was only scared for my people…my Kiyo…I closed my eyes, and growled.

"Now…" Elliot began again. "Where is Kiyo?"

"I don't know," I spat. It was the truth, more or less. I knew she was with Guardian Kairi, and I knew she would protect her. But something disrupted my calm thoughts of Kiyo.

Kairi's words from the dungeon echoed through my head. _I will come back for you._

She would be ignorant to come here again, after escaping so easily before. I felt the sword slice into me, and held in another gasp of pain. "Tell me, Ash, my old friend."

I said nothing, waiting for the next thing. Trace twisted the sword, and I groaned in pain. This was truly so pathetic on my part.

I shouldn't have let them take me. I should have put up a better fight. But of course, I was distracted…

The memory replayed through my head.

_I had been walking towards Fear, who had been motioning for me to lead my people away from the battle ground, until I heard a rustling in the bushes. I motioned for Fear to go on ahead, and she nodded._

_ I walked into the bushes, and instantly smelled them. I immediately crouched, and let a growl slip between my now exposed fangs that had been hidden only seconds ago._

"_Come on out, Trace!" I yelled, and he appeared from the tree nearest to me. He smirked, and Midnight was beside him in seconds._

_ "Why, hello, Lord Ash," Midnight laughed. I glared at her sarcasm._

_ "You should learn how to muzzle your dog, Trace," I snarled. Midnight looked at me, as if she were offended._

_ "My dog listens fairly well, actually, Ash," Trace said, glaring at me._

_ "Get to the point; I have a war to win," I snapped._

_ "Come with us, and then, Ash, we can talk this out in better terms," Trace said._

_ "I'd rather not. Leave and I won't hurt you. And that is being nice," I growled._

_ Trace chuckled. "Come, or I will hurt your precious Kiyo!" Midnight sneered. I instantly faltered._

_ "Where is she!" I demanded. Everything I had been thinking before was now nothing. Kiyo was my main priority._

_ "Why don't you tell me?" I heard a whisper say in my ear. I automatically turned, only in time to see Elliot draw back the Sword of the Sanctuary._

_ I jumped backwards, and it barely missed me. I quickly avoided Elliot as he charged forward. While I had my back turned to Trace, he and Midnight had performed a sneak attack on me._

_ I was soon falling to the ground, Trace and Midnight on top of me. I went to bite at Trace, but barely missed him by inches. So I bit the next closest thing: Midnight. She shrieked in pain, and crumpled, falling off of me._

_ She lay on the ground, screaming and cursing as she clutched her arm. I rolled around with Trace for awhile, and had him pinned I was about to bite down on his shoulder, when I felt my jaw lock down on something…metal. Something had me gagged._

_ It caught me by surprise, and Trace shoved me off of him. I hit a tree, and quickly caught my balance. My hand found my mouth, and I felt a metal piece, almost like a mouth mask, held to my jaw by strong leather strips._

_ I tried to force my jaw to open wider, but it had literally been locked in place. I looked up at Elliot who was laughing._

_ I ran forward, and tackled Trace. So, they had taken my bite away? I had other reflexes than just that. I dug my claws into his shoulder, and drug it through his skin. He snarled, and punched me._

_ I easily landed on my feet, and he glared fiercely at me. I smirked, though he couldn't see it. A sudden sharp pain to my shoulder caught me off guard, and I sunk to the ground, as the pain increase._

_ I glared up to see the reason of this pain, and saw that Midnight had bit me. She was smiling down at me, her eyes slanted into a cruel glare. I choked as I tried to open my jaw to bear my fangs in defense._

_ Elliot stepped forward, his sword pointed at my heart. "Are you willing to come with us now?"_

_ I growled in response to his question. He sighed, and said, "If you don't I'll murder Kiyo. It is as simple as that."_

_ I shook my head fiercely trying not to let the effect of Midnight's bite show. Elliot laughed. I finally knew I had to, or my Kiyo would be hurt…I couldn't let them hurt her…_

_ I sighed, glared, and nodded. "Good. I'd thought you would see it our way…" Elliot murmured, then he hit my head with the side of his sword, sending my world black._

A cold feeling on my mouth brought me back to reality. Trace was placing the rag from before on my mouth again. I glared.

"Are you going to tell me where Kairi or Kiyo are or are you going to be stubborn?" Elliot asked.

"I am not telling you anything!" I growled.

"So be it. Lightning, help him," Elliot commanded. I watched Lightning wince at the sound of his name. He looked at me, then at Elliot.

"By doing what?" he asked, dully. I knew he knew what Elliot was talking about. He was stalling.

"You can pour the water, as Trace holds the rag," Elliot said, motioning to the now filled bucket of cold water above me. Or maybe it was hot this time. I didn't know.

"Oh…" Lightning said. "Yes, Master Elliot." He bowed once, and came to the table in which I was strapped to.

"One last chance, Ash," Elliot said. I didn't even waste my breath. I'd need it. He sighed, as if he didn't want to do this. I knew better. "Do it."

The cloth tightened around my mouth and nose, and the water poured onto my face.

It gushed into my open mouth, and I, as a natural reflex, gasped for air, only getting water. I tried to force it out, but it wouldn't come because of the continuing flow. A few more seconds of this hell, and finally the water ceased. I gasped air, not able to breathe. Water gushed from my mouth, and Trace removed the cloth, laughing.

Elliot laughed, too, and finally my lungs decided to work. I gasped in shaky breaths, and enjoyed every ounce of the oxygen around me. I glanced around to see Trace and Elliot still snickering. Lightning kept an emotionless face, not looking at me whatsoever.

At that time, I felt Kiyo's presence in my mind, and Kairi's in her's.

_Ash? Are you okay?_ Kiyo's voice demanded. I sighed.

I was caught. For Kairi's sake, she better not be here.

Kairi's Point of View

"We have to go in there!" I whispered, immediately. I rounded the corner, and they all followed me, Kiyo being the closest. "You get to Ash, Kiyo. Yomi, you distract Trace. And Yoru and I will distract Elliot and Lightning," I said his name before I could stop myself.

"Who?" Yoru and Yomi asked. Kiyo gave me a confused look.

"How do you know about Lightning?" she asked.

"He found me, and told me about Ash. I lied to him about my name, and who I was. But we don't have time. We have to go!" I said, quickly, pulling her arm with me. We had our weapons still summoned, and I was already feeling my pulse race at the mere thought of Lightning. I scolded myself, mentally.

We heard a faint scream, and that was it. I kicked the door down, and the mess that lay in front of my eyes made bile rise in my throat. Blood…Ash's blood…was everywhere…He was chained down to a table. Lightning was standing at the head of the table, and glanced up at our outbursts, then gasped. Elliot glared and Trace hissed.

"Leave!" Ash yelled in a raspy voice.

Kiyo growled in anger. "You hurt my Ash! _My_ Ash!" she shrieked.

"Your main goal, Kiyo!" I reminded her. She took a deep breath, and nodded.

Lightning looked at me, confused. Yomi and Kiyo jumped forward, and Trace immediately reacted. He jumped forward, and Ash yelled for Kiyo to stop. Yoru eyed Elliot, glaring angrily at him.

"Ah, Yoru," He chuckled. "You've returned to us again." She jumped forward, swinging Shiroyasha. Kiyo ran for Ash, and I flanked her, looking at Lightning, who was still completely stunned.

Kiyo, fumbling shakily, untied his left hand, and then Lightning snapped out of his daze. He grabbed her wrist, and I jumped forward. He dodged easily, and I landed beside him. He released her hand, and I swung at him.

"Fangira!" he shouted. He raised his hands, and his curved sword appeared. My heart thudded in my chest loudly, and I knew I had to stall until they got Ash out of here.

We had a fighting stage of about ten feet, and I had to avoid Ash's table. I swung first, and Lightning brought Fangira down on Kuroyasha. Red sparks flew, and I shoved him off of her.

He circled me, and I quickly circled, too. He had so many advantages…

I couldn't concentrate on Yomi or Yoru; I had to concentrate on fighting Lightning. I had to defeat him, protect my friends from him. He swung Fangira at my neck, lethally fast as a cobra.

Kuroyasha brought herself up to my neck, defending it. I felt the wind of his swing blow my hair back. We danced around each other for so long, closely hitting each other quite often.

"Kairi!" Yomi yelled. I glanced at her. Trace was gone, and she and Yoru were fighting off Elliot. "Kiyo has Ash! We can go!"

"Go without me!" I yelled, and the distraction caused me a hit to the shoulder. I gasped in pain as blood dripped down my arm slowly. I looked at Lightning, and gasped again. He was trembling.

Fangira clattered to the floor. I took a step back. I watched his blue eyes, wishing I could read them, and know what he was planning to do, or what was wrong with him so I could use against him…but nothing was portrayed…

Those blue eyes began to redden, and soon they were a blood red color. I cringed, and he growled. Elliot laughed.

"Now look what you've done, Kairi. He's hungry," he called, from where Yomi and Yoru were trying to keep him from getting to me. I continued to back away, but he stepped as I stepped, almost like a mirror…

It was only then, that I realized Kuroyasha wasn't in my hand. She was inside of me, and truthfully I didn't remember putting her away. I put my hand to the cut on my shoulder, trying desperately to stop the bleeding. Lightning smiled a creepy smile, and I yelled, "Yoru! Yomi! Run!"

"Yes, run, and let your brave Guardian take care of the bad guys," Elliot mocked. The sound of grunting and hitting told me Yoru had attacked him. Lightning stared at me intently. His face was contorted into a wanting look.

I heard a loud grunt, and turned slightly to see Elliot on the ground. He was laughing, and Yoru was panting. Yomi was behind her, looking at me. She looked worried about me. I'd be fine if Lightning didn't hurt me. He was an elite Vampire...so strong…

And he wanted _my_ blood.

I was running out of room to back away from him. Soon I would hit the wall, and he would have me. Yomi jumped forward, pulling her right hand that held Judgment back, and swinging it forward. Lightning caught her wrist, and she screamed as he began to bend it backwards. Judgment fell to the floor, and disappeared.

That's when I stepped into Guardian mode. Kuroyasha immediately summoned herself, and I swung her at him with as much force as I could muster inside of me. My Kuroyasha's blade slammed into him, sending him stumbling backwards in shock. Blood oozed from his new wound, and Yomi was now behind me, flexing her wrist, and wincing a bit.

"Yoru, let's go!" I shouted. She immediately stopped swinging at Elliot and ran. I waited a split second to make sure Yomi followed her, then finally turned my back to them and ran with all the strength in me.

"Where's Trace?" I demanded.

"He followed Kiyo and Ash out!" Yomi said as Yoru retreated the way we came. I followed in their wake, and heard footsteps behind us.

_Pound. Pound. Pound. Pound. _Just like the sound of my heart. I closed my eyes, and desperately pushed forward. We were running down the dungeon stairs. I followed them as they ran for the stairs that would lead us to the secret passage. They were ahead of me. We would make it.

Suddenly, a strong force slammed into me, smashing me into the wall on my right. Pain shot through my side and back. I gasped, and looked up to see Lightning.

"Kairi!" Yomi screamed. I quickly sat up, and scooted backwards.

"Run! Yoru, take her and run!" I yelled. My head pounded painfully, and Lightning bent down, looking at me curiously.

"You tried to run? Did you think it would really work?" he asked, softly, gently. I scooted as far as I could, and found my back pressed against the wall. I didn't answer him. He probably just wanted to mess with my emotions, crush me from the inside out.

"What do you want with me?" I whispered. His face showed no emotions. He didn't smile, smirk, sneer, laugh…And truthfully, I was scared to death.

"Why did you lie to me about who you are?" The question surprised me, and I couldn't recover for a few moments.

Finally I just whispered, "I had to save my brother." He looked surprised for a moment, and the Fangira appeared in his hand. I looked his blade over again, studying the beast that would end me.

When my eyes fell upon the handle, and I noticed the crest was missing. He brought his sword up, and I said, "Wait!"

He paused, and looked down at me. "What is it?" he whispered, gently.

"I…I couldn't help but notice…Elliot's crest is missing off of Fangira…" I whispered, trying to distract him. He sighed.

"You are trying to distract me, are you not?" Lightning said, emotionlessly. I felt tears rise in my eyes, but held them in from falling. It was pointless I was going to die…I hoped Cheshire and Tsu would protect them…

When I didn't answer, he bent in closer. "Yes. I'm missing my crest. Fangira had it. _Before_ you attacked us. I noticed when I was battling you; Fangira's power had been weakened by such a feat," He said this as he stroked his blade.

I felt a sudden pulse through my entire leg. I gasped and shuddered away from him. He looked at me confused, and maybe something else…I couldn't quite tell.

I felt it again, and realized it was coming from Eleanor. I quickly reached to my side, and grabbed Eleanor's pouch, which, in the Sanctuary, was brown and pink with the kanji for Kairi written on the pouch.

I opened it, and gasped to see the crest from before. I reached into the pouch and pulled out the collar with the crest on it. Lightning gasped.

"I…I…found it near my camp…" I whispered. "I'm going to die, so you might as well have it back…" Tears were streaming down my face when I was finished saying this.

He took the collar and as he did, it disappeared into him. It reappeared on Fangira's handle. I felt my cries turning into sobs. I was going to die, and I couldn't even fight back. I tried to shake myself out of this mental state I was in. I couldn't make my mind work right.

Lightning took one finger and tilted my face up. I looked into his blue eyes, knowing it would be the last thing I saw before I breathed my last breath.

I heard a sudden noise beside me. I gasped, and looked over. Yomi was running forward with Judgment summoned in her right hand, again. She jumped forward, and let her arm strike out. It hit Lightning's arm, and he growled.

He released me, and was on his feet in a second. Judgment disappeared and reappeared in Yomi's hand. Lightning swung Fangira at her, and Forgiveness brought herself up to stop the blade.

I summoned my Kuroyasha, and jumped up. I felt adrenaline coursing through me again. I swung for Lightning, and was caught off guard when Yomi stabbed Judgment into his arm, and drug him through his flesh. She withdrew him, smirking.

He cursed out loud, and I took this chance to grab Yomi's wrist and run. I pulled her with me toward the exit we had come through. "Where's Yoru?" I demanded as we reached the moved wall. The wall closed after we made it through.

"She followed Trace and Kiyo out," Yomi said, following behind me. We dashed around corners and stretches of the hallways. We finally found the door we had came in from.

As soon as we were out of the castle, I saw Yoru and Kiyo, side by side, taking Trace on. Ash was behind them, leaning against a tree. If my eyes were telling me right, he was unconscious.

"Come on!" I whispered to Yomi. We ran forward to assist them. When we approached, weapons summoned, Trace glared.

"Back down, Trace!" I spat. He smirked, and faded to nothing, leaving us. I felt relieved, yet it seemed too easy. Kiyo ran to Ash after Haiiroyasha faded into her. She dropped to his side, and shook him gently.

"Ash? Ash, wake up!" she begged. He didn't respond. Kuroyasha erupted from my hands, forming her black lioness form. I was about to join Kiyo when a sudden loud noise sounded from behind us. I gasped, and turned quickly. Kiyo looked up from Ash, alarmed.

Lightning stood there. His eyes were blood red again, and he was looking directly at me. I shuddered, and I felt all my courage slip away from me. The looks his eyes were giving me made me want to die. I was scared of him.

Shiroyasha and Haiiroyasha were summoned somewhere in this time, and I knew Yoru, Kiyo, and Yomi were getting Ash onto Haiiroyasha. I felt panic rising through me as Lightning stepped forward.

I took an involuntary step backwards. He smiled a twisted smile. "Kairi! Come on!" Yoru shouted from atop Shiroyasha.

I glanced back at Kuroyasha. She was snarling in a crouched position. Fangira seemed to erupt from Lightning. His wolf growled at Kuroyasha, and she took it as a challenge. They collided together, and snapped at each other as Lightning stepped forward.

"Kairi! Come on, damn it!" Kiyo shouted. I stepped backwards, unable to pull my eyes from him. His eyes promised my death, but all I wanted to do was let them take me. To let him take me, kill me, do whatever he wanted to do. It scared me.

"Kuroyasha…" I whispered, hoping she would do something…anything to get me away from Lightning. There was no response, and I continued to back away from him.

"Kairi!" Yoru yelled. I forced myself to look up. Ash's eyes were open, but only barely. He was looking at Kiyo, a desperate look in his eyes. Suddenly, Lightning's fist came in contact with my shoulder. Pain shot through my entire arm as I flew backwards.

I skidded across the rough ground. "Kairi!" Kiyo shrieked. I jumped up, and finally felt myself coming to my senses. I kicked up towards his jaw. He evaded it easily. The second my foot hit the ground, I brought the other one up in the same direction. This time, it hit him.

Lightning growled, and I danced around him, dodging his strong attacks. I felt my muscles beginning to ache, and decided it was time I stopped.

"Kuroyasha, Ima koi!" I shouted. She broke away from Fangira, and dashed for me. As she grew closer, she faded into her scythe form, and landed into my hand. Fangira was in Lightning's before I could blink.

He swung for me, and I blocked, only to have him counter attack me. It missed my chest by millimeters. I knew it was getting too dangerous. Kuroyasha erupted from my hands, at the same instant I turned to run. I jumped, but was quickly pulled back.

I looked back to see what was holding me where I was. I saw Lightning's foot on my trench coat, and gasped. I was done for, for good this time. I had gotten this far, and now I was going to get killed.

I tried to jerk away. His foot only tightened on my coat. He had me pinned in such an angle that if I were to try and kick him, I would fall down.

"Let her go!" Yomi yelled. Yoru held her and kept her from jumping off of Shiroyasha. Haiiroyasha snarled, and Ash has breathing shallow breaths.

"Go! I'll catch up! Get Ashu-Niisama away from here!" I called desperately. Kiyo gave me a pained look. Ash clenched her hand, and Haiiroyasha's fur.

Yoru nodded, looking unhappy with the decision. Shiroyasha took off running, and Haiiroyasha did the same, though she was more reluctant. Kuroyasha snarled at Lightning, but didn't advance because she knew he could kill me in a second.

He grabbed my arm, and pulled me closer, so he could get a better look at me. I was sweating and panting as I struggled against his grip. Kuroyasha's snarls increased.

"I have to…" I began, gasping every so often, "protect…them…"

"You are a true Guardian. You have the passion of a Guardian. The heart of a Guardian," Lightning murmured, looking me over. The pressure on my arm eased, and his hand dropped to his side. I gasped, and stared at him. His expression told me nothing of his emotions. I stepped back, hesitantly.

"Leave…" he said. Kuroyasha didn't need any more encouragement. She picked me up by the back of my shirt, and tossed me onto her back with her mouth. She didn't pause to growl at Lightning or anything. She darted away. I glanced back at him. He stood there, Fangira had disappeared into him, and he was only staring at us.

I could only stare back, confused, and lost as a little dog. What did this mean?


	7. Insecure

_**~Chapter Six: Insecure~**_

We arrived at our former campsite, exhausted with new casualties. We dismounted slowly, and I ran over to Haiiroyasha so I could help Kiyo with Ash.

Cheshire and Tsu were near Negative. He was lying on the ground, panting shallow breaths. Yomi immediately ran over to him. He heard her frantic movements, and opened his eyes.

"My Kiyomi…," he whispered, seeing her worried face. She took his hand gently, yet firmly all the same. I helped Kiyo support Ash. His fangs were still bared. I helped her lay him down on the grass. She kneeled down beside him.

"We have to stay here tonight. No one is in the right condition to travel," I said. My whole body was now aching. A fiery pain was making itself known from Fangira cutting my arm open. My other shoulder ached, too, and my back would have a wicked bruise on it from being shoved into the wall and skidding across the ground.

I surveyed my protectants. Yomi was squeezing Negative's hand with her left hand. I remembered Lightning had bent her wrist backwards. I'd have to check it later. I wasn't going to interrupt them right now.

Kiyo was wound free. She was lying with Ash. Her arms were around him tightly, carefully avoiding his wounds. He was still breathing shallow gasps, but I could tell he was comfortable with Kiyo holding him safely in her arms.

Yoru was limping away from Shiroyasha, and I quickly noticed she had a cut on her arm, and one, much deeper than the first, on her thigh. Tsu was worried, and I could tell he wanted to help her, but he knew she would slap him.

I immediately ran to her side, and put an arm around so I could help her to a patch of grass. As I looked her wounds over again, I realized she still had the dark bruise like markings on her skin.

"Yoru…are you okay?" I asked, helping her down. She nodded, and winced, but other than that, she seemed to be okay…

Kuroyasha didn't fade into me. She stayed out as a protection unit. Shiroyasha and Haiiroyasha did the same. I examined my arm after watching the three lions circle protectively. Dried blood was everywhere, and some was still wet and sticky, oozing from the wound.

_Kuroyasha, leather bag please,_ I thought the words because I was too exhausted to talk them aloud. She picked it up with her mouth, and tossed it to me. It landed near. _Thanks._

I pulled out a bandage, turning to Yoru, and saying, "Let me see your wounds." She nodded, and scooted closer to me. Her thigh was cut deeply, and her clothes were torn from the wound. I shook my head in disgust for what Elliot had done.

I pulled the alcohol out, and drizzled it onto her wound. She winced and jerked a bit, but nothing more. This wound wasn't nearly as deep as the first one that my Kuroyasha had done.

I cleaned it out, and bandaged it, then moved to the one on her arm. I repeated the process, and then turned to see what Yomi and Negative were doing. They were lying next to each other. Yomi was stroking his white hair gently, and he was dozing off. I didn't want to make her move, but I knew if Lightning had broken Yomi's wrist, it would begin to heal the wrong way.

So I said, "Yomi, I need to see your wrist." She looked up from Negative's face, and nodded. She got up, and walked over to where I was sitting. Yoru had lain back down on the soft grass. She was closing her eyes and trying to get comfortable for sleep.

Yomi held her limp wrist out, and I took it tenderly. She winced as I examined it, and finally decided it was only sprained. I got a bandage to wrap around and keep in place. It was all I had until we figured out where we were going.

Yomi smiled, grateful, though I knew she was upset beyond compare. She walked back to Negative's side, and lay beside him. She continued to stroke his hair and forehead. I smiled weakly and turned to see Kiyo.

She was asleep, leaning into Ash's arms that were now wrapped around her. They weren't holding her; he was too weak for that. There were there to comfort her, to tell her everything was going to be okay. I almost felt jealous of Kiyo. I didn't have anyone to hold me and tell me everything was okay. And I also kinda felt jealous of Ash. It was my job to reassure her.

But she had Ash now. Everything would be fine now that she had Ash. She'll never be scared when she's around him. He was her's. He would always be there for her. And me…well, I could have easily died that day. Then, she wouldn't have me.

I was only Human. I could only do so much. And apparently, it wasn't much. I sighed, and Kuroyasha padded over to me. She sat down, and nudged me with her snout. I looked up into her golden eyes, and hugged her. I really didn't know what else to do. I was so…pathetic.

_Be silent, Kairi,_ Kuroyasha's voice murmured. I leaned against her, letting her fur warm me, and comfort me. For the first time since I'd entered the Sanctuary, I felt vulnerable and weak…unneeded.

_Be silent, and rest. You are ignorant if you think they would never need you. They are your protectants. They need you, and you need them. That is simply, how it is._

I just nodded into her fur, and was consumed by a deep, distant sleep. The last image my conscious mind picked up from the memory of the day was the sight of Lightning staring at us as we retreated from the castle.

Morning came too early for me, and I found myself going back to sleep, and waking up several times before I was up for good. I yawned and stretched, before looking around. Kuroyasha was lying beside me, curled in a circle. I was lying on her paw, while her other paw was around me, protectively.

I smiled to myself, and noticed Yomi and Tsu were up. Yomi had a hand on Negative's head, and Tsu was sitting near Yoru, protectively. I smiled, and didn't move. I didn't want to wake Kuroyasha up. She was probably exhausted after all that work yesterday.

I waited for the others to wake up, so we could talk plans. We had to get everyone safe where their wounds could be treated. I was worried for my friends. What if something were to happen now?

I sighed heavily, and it caught Yomi's attention. She looked up from Negative. I noticed her eyes were puffy. She must have been crying. "Hey" her voice sounded dull, and maybe even a bit scared.

"Morning," I said, smiling. She smiled weakly in return. She sighed, and pulled her knees to her chest. Kuroyasha stirred, and finally woke. I then, crawled over to Yomi, despite the throbbing pain through my body, and wrapped her in a tight hug.

"Hey, it's okay," I whispered. She nodded, and hugged me back. "We'll get them to Ash's place, and then someone can fix them up."

"I hope you're right." She looked up from her knees. She had new tears in her eyes, and I wiped them away with my sleeve.

We sat and waited for everyone to wake up. As they did, we began packing. I helped Yoru up, and to Kuroyasha. Yomi and I had decided she and Negative would ride on Shiroyasha, and I would ride with Yoru.

Kiyo and I helped Ash onto Haiiroyasha, and then she jumped up onto her next. She wrapped her arms around his waist protectively. I smiled warmly, and helped Negative onto Shiroyasha. Yomi then mounted him.

I was weaker than usual, I'll admit, but I could protect them if it came down to coming face to face with Trace or someone else. I mounted Kuroyasha, and turned to Tsu and Cheshire. (Our servants were already within us.)

"You can come, if you want. Unless you have better things to do," I said. Tsu looked longingly at Yoru.

"We have to keep up our appearances here," Tsu finally sighed. I nodded, and Cheshire waved bye.

"Bye Yoru! Bye Kairi! Bye Yomi! Bye Kiyo!" Cheshire called. We waved by, and the lions dashed forward. We sped off, not really knowing how we'd get to the Paranormal World.

"How are we supposed to get there?" I called to Kiyo.

"Ash says we can just go to the base they have in the Sanctuary," Kiyo replied.

"Lead the way!" Yomi said. Kiyo nodded, and Haiiroyasha took the lead. We followed behind in her wake. We rode for hours. I kept my eyes on Yoru, making sure she was okay.

Every so often, my thoughts trailed to Lightning and his unknown reason for letting me get away from him…

We reached our destination after many hours of riding. We came upon a place in the trees where tents were spread throughout the area. Kiyo hugged Ash tighter, and whispered something in his ear. I couldn't hear because of the wind.

We stopped, and a young man with a sword stepped forward. Two wolves flanked him. I prepared to summon Kuroyasha.

"Who goes there?" the man called. He had a strong build, and ordinary brown hair. Pft. Dork. I had pink hair, what son, what? He had a little stubble on his chin, but nowhere else.

"It's the king and queen of the Paranormal World! Move out of the way!" I shouted.

The man turned to look at me. "Excuse me? Who are you?" he said, rhetorically.

"I'm Kiyo's Guardian, and if you don't move out of my way right now, Ash is going to die!" I shouted.

"The King has been injured?" the man asked, in shock.

"Oh my God, dude, move!" I yelled.

"Yes, come in. Quickly take him to the inner base," The man said.

"Thank you," I snapped. The man, and his two wolves moved out of our way, and our lions dashed forward again.

"Kairi," Yoru began, "That was awesome." I laughed, and she smiled weakly. We arrived at the building that must have been the inner base. I helped a limping Yoru get off of Kuroyasha, and she dissolved into me. Everyone else dismounted as well, Yomi helping Negative, and Kiyo helping Ash.

A slender female with pink and purple streaked black hair came up to us from inside the building. Instantly, I knew this was Fear, Ash's second-in-command, and best friend. Her eyes widened at Ash's nearly unconscious form.

"Fear," he managed, seeming to realize it was her.

"My Lord, you and Negative…," she said in horror, quickly closing the distance between us and taking Ash from Kiyo's side. Kiyo followed her, and we did as well. "What is _she_ doing here?" Fear asked, after awhile of walking. I knew she was talking about Yoru.

"Because she's wounded, and I'm her Guardian," I snapped. Silence filled the air after that, until finally Fear spoke again.

"We'll go to the infirmary," Fear said, quickening her pace. "You were all idiots for doing this. We had it under control."

"They were torturing him," Kiyo whispered. Fear winced.

"I'm surprised they didn't kill him," Fear breathed and I had to strain my hearing to make out her words. "They could have easily done it."

Ash was on the verge of consciousness. Negative _was_ unconscious. Yomi was hardly able to support his weight, but didn't complain. Yoru was fully awake and seemed ready for anything. We followed Fear up several hallways down a flight of stairs until we can to a room where army cots lined the walls.

Warriors were sitting on them, or lying depending on the injury received. We were lead to an empty section where Ash was placed on a bed, and Negative beside him.

I helped Yoru to a bed, and Yomi and I sat down, too. Kiyo stood by Ash's side, and immediately, people began to examine Ash and Negative. After awhile they came to Yoru, and began undressing her wounds.

They cleaned them, and dressed them again. She was told to lie down, to rest.

Yomi and I were they next ones to be checked. Yomi's wrist was only severely sprained, not broken, and I thanked God she was okay. They then examined my arm, and checked the deep cut. They cleaned it, making me wince every so often. Then, they examined my back, and side, which, thank goodness, was only bruised.

"You both should be fine to leave," Fear said to Yomi and me once our examinations were finished. I didn't want to leave, but nodded, and stood. Yomi and I walked to Yoru's bedside.

"Looks like you have to stay," I whispered. She shrugged, and smiled weakly.

"I'll live. See you soon, guys."

"Bye, Yoru," we said, in unison. Kiyo joined us. Fear led us out of the infirmary. She walked us to our rooms. Kiyo's room was right across the hall from Yomi and my own rooms. When Yoru was released, she would be sharing a room with us.

Kiyo went to her room, and we went to our room. There were three separate beds, each big enough to hold five people. My bed was a lavish pink color. The pillows were made with soft feathers. The comforter was the same shade of pink as my hair, and the stitching was a darker pink. It had oak bed posts, and an intricate headboard that depicted a story of a young boy who was weak and picked on, becoming the best Guardian in history.

I turned to Yomi, and saw her crawling into her bed. Her comforter was a royal blue color, with matching pillows as soft as mine. Her headboard depicted a story of a couple who could never be together, because they were in separate villages that were at war.

They decided to make a pathway through the mountain that separated their villages, so they could still see each other. They met at the peak, where a beautiful oasis existed.

They met every day, until one day, the boy never showed up. The girl found out the boy had died in the war. The girl was so upset, and so angry, she released all of her rage upon the two villages. She could have killed them all.

But instead, she created a new village, where both villages were joined as one. She used all of her power left to make peace between the villages. She, then died, a happy death, right next to the boy. They still live to this day, happy and together.

I blinked, coming back to the present. Wow, that was deep. I glanced at Yoru's bed. The comforter was black, with white stitching. I was supremely surprised Yoru had a customized bed in the Paranormal World's base. I shrugged it off, and looked up at the head board to see what it read.

It told the story of a young girl, with many friends, but she could never be with her friends, because she was bound by promise of her land. I smiled weakly. Ironic. I walked to my bedside, and jumped on it. It felt so comfortable! The bed molded to me, and cushioned my every move.

A fireplace was near the three beds. It had intricate designs, and swirls. Above it, read the saying,

_Even in the deepest Darkness, the true light sleeps within._

The saying made me smile. It was beginning to get darker, and the sun casted long shadows through our small windows. I glanced at Yomi, to see she was already sleeping restlessly, haven fallen asleep before even saying good night.

I sighed, closed my eyes tightly, and tried to sleep. Awhile passed, and I found myself still conscious. I opened my eyes to find the room dark except for the warm fire. I sat up, and pulled the covers over me.

Minutes passed. Then hours. Exhaustion nipped at my eyes, but every time I closed my eyes, sleep rejected me. I couldn't stop thinking about Yoru. She was hurt. So was Ash and Negative.

I sighed heavily (as if the breath of air could carry my stress out of me…), and heard the creaking of my door opening. I pulled the covers off of my head, and saw a silhouette in the door way. It closed the door behind itself, and made its way to my bed side. As it drew closer, the warm light of the fire told me it was Kiyo.

"I can't sleep," I heard her whisper. I smiled reassuringly at her.

"Sleep with me," I said, moving the covers up so she could slip into the bed. She pulled them over her tightly, and scooted close to me. I put an arm around her, soothingly.

"It's okay. Fear will take care of him," I whispered. She nodded, and we held each other for comfort until we both finally dozed off for the night.

Morning came, and I awoke to Yomi whispering to herself. I realized Kiyo was clinging to me as if her life was depending on it. I glanced over Yomi. She was sitting in front of a mirror, brushing her hair gently.

As she did this, she sang quietly to herself. Carrie Underwood lyrics?

_Baby you're a wrecking ball_

_Crashing into me_

_Nothing I can do but fall._

_Piece by Piece_

_You broke down every part of me_

_That ever thought I'd never need you_

_Baby_

_It's twisted, messed up._

_And the more I think about it_

_It's crazy, but so what?_

_I may never understand it,_

_But I'm caught and I'm hanging on._

_I'm going to love you even if it's wrong._

Feeling really bad for her, and letting my emotional side take over, I said, "Yomi, it's okay." She jumped at the sound of my voice.

"Jeez, Kairi. When did you wake up?" she asked, turning to look at me. I smiled, and shrugged.

"Not long ago."

"How long were you listening?"

"Long enough," I said. She sighed, and her head hung. I wished I could move to her and give her a hug, but Kiyo's arms were gripping me.

"I'm worried about him, Kairi," she whispered. I nodded, completely understanding.

"It's okay Yomi. I would be too. He's okay, though. He and Ash will be up and walking in no time," I said, reassuringly. She looked up, and I think I saw a little bit of hope pass through her eyes.

"I really hope so," she said, smiling to herself. Kiyo woke soon, and immediately looked around the room.

She sank back into the pillows, sighing and breathing heavily. "Are you okay?" I asked.

"Yea. Just…just a bad dream," Kiyo whispered. I automatically wondered what it could have been. She looked at the door, and sat up again. Once the drowsiness left her eyes, she stood up, and stretched.

"We should go check on the guys," Yomi whispered. I nodded in agreement, too numb to really speak.

"Yea. I want to see my Ash," Kiyo agreed. I nodded, and forced a smile to them reassuringly. Kiyo took lead and we fell into her wake. She led us down the same halls as yesterday to the infirmary; I dimly wondered if she remembered the way or if she was just following her draw towards Ash.

She quickly opened the door, and rushed inside. Yomi followed her quickly, and I followed at a smaller pace. I saw Fear near the two beds from yesterday. She seemed a bit less tense than before, and I took that as good news. Yomi ran to Negative's bedside immediately, and took his hand. He was awake now, and he was smiling at her, stronger than before.

"Negative," I heard her murmur as I looked away to give them privacy. My gaze fell upon Kiyo and Ash.

By this time, She was at Ash's bedside, clutching his hand tightly, too. I found comfort in the fact that he was awake and looked much stronger than yesterday. His eyes were blue again, and thank goodness his fangs were back in. Ash was looking up at Kiyo in such an adored way it made me shiver. I smiled warmly as her murmured something inaudible to her I couldn't quite hear, and joined her. Ash gave me a glare and I quickly raised my hands up in surrender. What had I done now?

"You, Guardian Kairi, are truly an idiot!" he snapped. I twitched.

"What did I do now?" I asked, truly lost.

"You brought _my _Kiyo to Elliot's palace! You are so ignorant! You brought her to the one place she could easily have died! I wouldn't have been able to help, and you could have easily died too! You put everyone's life in danger, just because you were too stubborn to go find Fear!" Ash was pissed. Oh, great.

"Ash, calm down! I kept everyone safe! Everyone that went is still okay. I protected everyone fairly well," I said, trying to reason with him.

"You froze in fear in front of Lightning! You can't stop in the middle of battle, no matter how scared you get, Guardian Kairi! You should never show weakness, especially when you are protecting _my_ Kiyo!" A brief sense of déjà vu hit me, but I couldn't remember from where. Besides, I was too locked onto the fact that his eyes were darkening, becoming redder. I twitched.

"Ash, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" I said, quickly. He glared, and he opened his mouth to speak again. I saw his fangs were out.

"Yes, I'm sure you're sorry, but that doesn't change the fact that you brought _all of your protectants to Elliot's castle!_" he growled the last part.

"Ash, calm down. Kairi was just being a bit irrational," Kiyo said softly. Ash immediately softened.

"I know she was, but you all could have been seriously injured, or worse, killed," he said, cringing.

I sighed. "It won't happen again, sir."

"For your sake, it better not," Ash said. Then a smile curled his lips. "And, another thing, Kairi."

"Yes, sir?" I said, trying not to sound disrespectful. Kiyo was trying to hide a smile. Fear was smirking. Was I missing something?

"You have Guardian training now."

The words he spoke made me want to scream. "Guardian training?" I whispered.

"Yes. Starting tomorrow as soon as we get back home," he confirmed.

"Ash, that is so not fair!" I moaned, forgetting my formal behavior.

He chuckled. "Oh, yes it is."

_ No! Guardian training? Why? Ugh!_

"Enjoy your freedom now, Fatewin. You won't have it long," Fear laughed. That brought up another point. Why was everyone calling us by weird last names? But I was too busy complaining about Guardian Training that I didn't ask.

"Great. I'm going to be a slave for a bunch of annoying, bossy, jerky Guardians that think they're masters of all the worlds," I grumbled.

Kiyo laughed. "How bad can it be, Kairi?" Yomi asked, speaking for the first time besides the quiet murmuring to Negative.

"Really?" I said, turning to look at her in disbelief. She shrugged, unknowing.

"Kiyomi, let's just say, Guardian Training isn't a walk in the park," Negative whispered, quietly. She looked down at him in admiration. He smiled up at her lovingly.

"I love you, Kiyomi," he whispered to her. I felt my heart skip at the beauty of the moment.

"I love you, too, Negative," she breathed as a slight blush spread across her face, then his.

I smiled warmly at them, and Kiyo turned to Ash. She placed a hand on his cheek. "And I love you," she whispered.

He smiled, and pulled her face to his for a sweet kiss. Their lips meet, and both of them blushed slightly. I refrained from saying aw, and watched, holding my breath. When they pulled back, both of their breathing was exhilarated.

"That was so cute," I whispered, looking at Yomi. She was nodding, holding back her cute attack, too.

"Now, can I ask something?" Kiyo whispered after she had caught her breath. "Why is everyone calling us by weird names?" I gave her a grateful glance for catching my own thoughts from before.

"In different worlds, such as The Sanctuary and Paranormal World, you change identities. As long as you are within either of the worlds that go hand in hand, you are Kairi Lin Fatewin, Kiyomi Kuyuuki Azavenger, Kiyo Aeka Everdusk, and Eienyoru Shura Crescentworth." As he said each of our new names he looked at us as if his words held power (which, they really did.)

At the mention of Yoru, I noticed she wasn't in here. I turned to Fear immediately.

"Where's Yoru?" I demanded. She looked up at me, and glared.

"Do not sound so accusing to me, when I'm the one who helped her recover as quickly as she did," Fear snapped.

"Is she okay? Where is she?" I felt the need to protect over coming me. The sudden need to make sure my protectant was okay. Where was Yoru? I needed to know, I needed to protect her, and destroy anyone who was a threat to her.

"She's in the back," Fear said, coolly. I walked over to the door she was motioning to and almost opened the door. The only thing that stopped me was Kiyo's thought trail that flowed into my mind.

_Knock first, Kairi!_

I froze at the handle, and knocked instead. There was silence for a few agonizing, long moments, then Yoru's voice called hoarsely, "Who is it?"

"It's me Yoru," I said. The door opened, and Yoru was standing in the door way. I sighed in relief, so happy to see her okay.

"I'm so glad you're okay," I said speaking my mind and hugging her gently.

"Of course I'm okay, dork," she said teasingly.

"When are you allowed to leave?" I asked, pulling away from the hug and helping her to the others.

"Today, actually," she said. I blinked in surprise.

"You can leave today?" I asked, as if trying to make sense of how fast she healed. She nodded, and sat on the bed she was on yesterday. I smiled, and felt hope shiver run through me. "Our room is amazing."

"Can't wait to see it," she said. We spent an hour or so there, talking lightly, and catching up on things.

"You should probably take Yoru to your room, Kairi," Fear said, pointing a black painted fingernail at Yoru. I glanced at Yoru who was looking at the floor, a look of languor written all over her face.

"Come on, Yoru," I said, touching her arm gently. She looked up, and smiled again.

"I'm fine, Kairi," she shrugged indifferently. "Stop worrying so much." I gave her a look. "What? Gosh, I hate being weak!"

"You aren't, you're just hurt," I said. She groaned, and stood. I was so used to the strange marks on her, that I didn't notice them. They were much lighter than before. This made me feel better.

"Come on, Yoru," Yomi said, unwillingly standing to walk over to us. Kiyo and Yomi said their goodbyes to their boyfriends, and we finally got Yoru to go to our room. I helped her to her bed as she examined her new surroundings.

Kiyo and Yoru began chatting as I looked around the room again, reexamining the details. The room was huge, and I was wondering why, when the answer came to me from Kuroyasha.

_You expect us to stay locked away _all_ the time, Kairi?_ He voice was light and joking. I felt like an idiot when I remembered Lancer and Kuroyasha. I had forgotten about them ever since we had arrived at the base.

_Oh…well I never…I didn't think about that…Would you like to come out?_

_ No, no, young one, it is quite fine._ Kuroyasha's voice laughed softly.

I smiled to myself, and then Lancer joined into the conversation.

_I wouldn't mind getting out of here for awhile,_ he thought. I sighed heavily, and mentally nodded. Lancer appeared beside me. Everyone gasped in surprised, and I smiled guiltily.

"What the crap, dude!" Yomi gasped. "You just scared the crap out of me!"

"Sorry, sorry! He wanted out. I should have warned you," I said. Lancer waved his hand dismissively.

"No, she just missed me." he laughed.

"Yea, whatever," I said, nudging him. He smirked, and jumped onto my bed.

"This is much better," he sighed in contempt. I shook my head, and he shrugged.

Yoru leaned back on her head board, rolling her eyes, and seeming to relax into her pillows more. Yomi sat on her bed with her legs pulled to her chest. She seemed distracted with something…or rather someone…Negative.

I pushed Lancer over, making room near my favorite edge for me and Kiyo. He gave me a critical look, and shook his head. I shrugged, and Kiyo sat next to me.

"Well, guys," I began. Everyone turned to listen to my message. "Today is the last day of my freedom; we better enjoy it."

"Kairi, literally, you act like Guardian training is a living…_nightmare_." She laughed the last part, because of Nightmare, Cheshire's brother that was his complete opposite.

I twitched, and said, "If only you knew, Yomi. If only you knew…"


	8. Understanding the Past

_**~Chapter Seven: Understanding the Past~**_

The next morning, Yoru had no marks left from the huge battle before. The strange marking that had been on her skin were completely faded as well, making me feel much better. We dressed without words that morning.

We stood in the courtyard, just before sunrise. I was so tired, and really wishing I had gone to sleep instead of talk all night with my protectants. They were all here, too, and I'm sure they were regretting staying up just as much as I was.

I yawned again, and slumped, waiting for Ash to show up with my mentor. He was going to be okay, and he was allowed to leave the infirmary today. He would be introducing me to my mentor. My mentor would be the main Guardian I looked up to, and he'd be guiding my training. Yet, somewhere in the back of my head, that felt really wrong. But I couldn't put my finger on it…

I huffed heavily, and looked up at the slowly fading stars. Kiyo put a hand on my shoulder, feeling the anxiety I was trying to ignore nip at my stomach. Yoru was sitting down on a watching bench, and Yomi sat next to her yawning every few moments.

A smile curved Kiyo's lips, and I looked in the direction of where she was looking. I gasped to see Ash walking from the barracks with a man I had seen walking around the camp yesterday.

"Good morning, Kairi. My love, Yomi, Crescentworth. This is Guardian Haru. He's your mentor, and will be training you when you're alone. But, everyday, with the exception of Saturdays and Sundays, you have to train in a group of Guardians in training. Guardian Training starts an hour before sunrise, and when you aren't training in a group, Guardian Haru will be able to train you whenever he wishes. But, most of the time, you'll be training in groups," Ash said this while holding back laughter.

My face must have shown how outraged I felt. I looked in between Guardian Haru, and Ash. This had to be a joke, right? Kuroyasha and Lancer laughed at me. I had forgotten about them until I started actually listening. They were laughing at my reaction, and it ticked me off. "Just shut up, guys. Just shut up," I muttered.

Guardian Haru walked towards me, and Ash motioned for the other to back up some. They did. I stood straighter, not knowing what to expect. Guardian Haru circled me, and all I could do was just stand straight with my head tall.

"Okay, Kairi. You want to be a Guardian. You want to protect the queen. If you wish to do this, you have to stay true to your training. Any mission assigned to you, no matter what it may be, you must oblige. Even if you aren't with the queen in the mission. Do you understand this?" Guardian Haru asked.

"Yes, of course, sir," I said. He nodded, and continued.

"And, if you are to fail a mission, you mustn't give up. No matter how rough the going gets, you have to keep trying harder. You must take the Guardian Oath."

I twitched. There was an oath? What? Why was I only finding this out now?

"Yes, sir," I said automatically.

"Raise your hand, fist it over your heart, and repeat after me." Guardian Haru said, smiling. I raised my hand, fisting it over my heart, and listened to him begin. "I, Kairi Lin Fatewin, want to be the Guardian of Kiyo Aeka Everdusk, Yoru Shura Crescentworth, Mizuki Nightrain, Meiyami Reignstriker, and Kiyomi Kuyuuki Azavenger. I will put them in front of me, no matter what the costs are, and I will guard them with my life. I will protect everyone that needs protecting at any cost. In the name of the Great Guardians before us, I will always protect them with everything in my being." As he finished, I could feel the power of his words pulsing through me.

I repeated. Every single word. I could feel the unseen promise binding its way into my soul, and I knew that I, Kairi Lin Fatewin, was going to be the best Guardian in all worlds.

As soon as I finished, I put my hand down. "Now, one thing you have to understand," Guardian Haru began. I raised an eyebrow as he turned his back on me.

Suddenly, I was thrown to the ground with a full force blow. The breath was knocked out of me, and I struggled blindly. I finally kicked the unseen force off of me, and jumped up. Kuroyasha was summoned in seconds, and I was breathing wildly. My eyes darted to the thing that had forced me to the ground.

Guardian Haru was on his feet in one graceful movement, and I gasped.

"What the hell was that for?" I shouted.

"In you sessions, you will be randomly attacked, and you'll have to defend yourself. You did fairly well, actually. For your first time, that is. An actual Guardian would have been able to summon your scythe the second I had turned around. But you're only Human," Guardian Haru replied this easily.

"Well, what are you?" I asked, still breathing a bit deep. Kuroyasha had refused to return to me in case of another sneak attack.

"Vampire," Ash replied for him. I twitched in agitation; of course. It was because of Lightning. It had to be. Kiyo mentally sighed in my head, and gave me a mental eye roll.

_It is, isn't it?_ I thought.

_You'll need to know how to fight him off next time he comes at you with his fancy sword,_ Kiyo thought this with venom in her words. She hated him, that much was obvious.

"Now…because today is a Sunday, you don't have any Guardian Training, Kairi, you should be ready for tomorrow," Guardian Haru said, giving us a small smile.

I nodded still a bit unnerved from all the adrenaline I had just felt coursing through me. Kuroyasha finally allowed me to return her to myself.

"Wanna go back to bed?" Yoru asked, looking at me.

I looked up at her in disbelief. "Are you serious? You want me to go back to bed…after _that?_" I asked critically.

She shrugged, and I felt my nerves running wild, and tried to shake off some of my adrenaline. Kiyo walked out to me, and put a hand on my shoulder. She laughed lightly, and pulled me with her towards the barracks that we came from.

Kuroyasha dropped from my hands, and erupted to her lion form. She walked behind my protectants, and Ash and Guardian Haru stayed behind to chat.

We arrived back in Yomi, Yoru and my room. I sat on the bed, trying to let the last of the adrenaline to fade into my system. My cat ears (that I had forgotten about) twitched. I relaxed into my bed as my muscles allowed the adrenaline to leave. I sighed as the dull ache of my new wounds from Ash's rescue pulsed in pain. I remembered my arm, and sighed heavily.

"Damn arm…" I muttered, sitting up and clutching it.

"You okay?" Yomi asked, looking over to me from her bed. I nodded quickly, and pulled out my pink Swiss army knife to cut the bandages that were now painfully tight around my cut.

Was it swelling? The soiled bandage fell from my upper arm, and revealed my gruesome gash. The blood _had_ been dry…until Guardian Haru tackled me…breaking the scar tissue loose again…

I groaned, and cursed under my breath, earning a few glares from Yoru and Yomi. The gash was now steadily oozing blood. Kiyo looked at it once, and looked away.

"I'll call Ash," she said. Was that her answer for everything? I would look weak! No!

"No, I'll be fine. Just need some cloth or something," I muttered.

She looked me in the eye. "No, I'm calling Ash. He can wrap it for you," I rolled my eyes. I hated being weak. I hated it almost worse than when my protectants were in trouble and I could do nothing about it. But that was the ultimate worse. Ash walked into the door about two minutes later. Kiyo and her amazing mental abilities; you have to love them.

He had a long bandage, and something else I couldn't see. I showed him my arm, a bit agitated. He smirked, and sat down on the bed beside me. He cleaned the wound thoroughly, and I realized the other thing I couldn't make out was a needle and some stitching.

"No, no, no!" I said, scooting away quickly. Ash gave me a look that implied, _Really?_

"Kairi let him stitch your arm up," Kiyo sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Why the hell didn't they do it yesterday?" I asked, eyeing Ash's hand with the needle.

"I was hurt; they were more worried about their king than a mere Guardian in training," As said simply. I was about to retort something smart, when Ash grabbed my wrist. I immediately tried to jerk it away. His grip was strong though.

"Aw, come on guys!" I begged. Yomi laughed.

"Kairi, it's just some stitches." Yoru said, joining Yomi's laughter.

I shivered, and looked away from my arm. I clenched my fist in a tight ball. About a half hour of pain later, my fist was so clenched it was white. "Done," Ash finally said. My breath sighed long and heavily, wavering a little.

"Much better. You'll be fine, Guardian," Yoru laughed. I shot her a quick glare, before turning to look at Kiyo's amused face.

"Just to be on the safe side, you will be excused from Guardian Training for tomorrow. But then, you're back in. So enjoy your day off," – I could've sworn he said this with reluctance… - "I've got things to attend to. So, have fun, and don't wander off," Ash said, looking at all of us closely.

"We won't," Yomi said.

"Really? Then who was that trying to jump out the window this morning?" Ash asked, turning to her.

"What?" I shrieked. Someone had jumped out the window? Had it really been Yomi? I automatically scanned her with my eyes to see if there were any wounds I had over-looked from this morning.

"Hey, for your information, I had a rope," Yomi said, defensively. Then she paused, and added, "An invisible rope."

"Yomi!" I shouted, as Kiyo looked at her in disbelief. "Are you serious?"

"Hey, was that _you_ laughing at me?" Yomi asked, turning to Ash and completely ignoring me.

"No, that was Rath," Ash said. "And Fear."

"Oh…Okay," Yomi said, smiling.

"What the hell were you doing trying to jump out the window?" I asked in disbelief.

"Language, Kairi!" Yomi hissed. "I wanted to have some fun, considering you guys were out cold." Unbelievable.

I shook my head in disbelief. _Okay, okay. She was bored. It's totally normal for people to jump out of windows when they get bored. Wow. I have some crazy friends, and I am definitely going to have to step up my game, _I thought to myself.

"I'll be on my way now," Ash said, turning to leave. Kiyo stood, and ran to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind as I examined my new stitches.

"Don't leave," she whispered, against his back. He sighed, and turned to face her, engulfing her in his arms.

"I have to, love. I'll return soon," he promised. "I have to arrange our travel back to the Paranormal World." I had began watching them again, feeling a bit queasy from the stitches. I was overcome with that same feeling of pure happiness at their cute moment.

"Can't I come with you?" she pleaded. He thought for a moment before turning to look at us on our beds. Yomi and I had our hands over our mouths holding back our cute hysterics. Yoru was just watching, and looking a bit bored.

"Yes, I suppose you can," he said, giving in. A bright smile lit her face up, and she turned to us.

"See you guys later. Behave," she said, looking mainly at Yoru and me. I rolled my eyes. She smiled again, and walked out of the room with Ash. I then turned to Yomi.

"Well, it looks like we're alone, together, guys," I said.

"Not their brightest idea," Yoru laughed.

"We have to be good," Yomi said, with mock sadness. We all laughed, and I let Kuroyasha and Lancer out to roam the room. Yoru also released Shiroyasha, allowing him and Kuroyasha to play around.

A few hours passed; the sun had lit up our room. I sensed a presence approaching our door, and then someone knocked. "Who is it?" I called in a sing-song voice.

"It's me," I husky voice called, surprising us all. Negative was up?

I smiled towards Yomi's direction and raised my eyebrows making her blush deeply. "Come in," she called. The door opened, and Negative walked into our room. Yomi's blush grew as Negative's eyes fell on her. He stood by her bed, watching her carefully.

"Hi," Yomi said.

"Hello," Negative replied warmly.

"You can sit down, Negative," I laughed.

"Of course," he said, looking a bit embarrassed. He walked over, and sat down next to Yomi. She blushed again, and he placed a hand on her cheek.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking into his eyes with worry written all over her face. He smiled a reassuring smile and nodded.

She hugged him, and took him in; his scent, his hair, his eyes, every part of him that she had always dreamed of. "My Negative…" she breathed. He wrapped his arms around her, and held her close to him.

"I'm here now, Kiyomi," he whispered in her ear. She smiled at his words, happy to finally have her Negative. The scene was so sweet it hurt. Actually, my chest felt like it was about to burst. I sighed in joy for Yomi, as Negative kissed her forehead. Then I felt it; a slight sad wanting and a need to get away. I wanted to run. And now.

"I'm going for a walk, Yoru. Tell Ash I'll only be gone for an hour or so," I said, quickly standing. Kuroyasha gave me a questioning thought, and I just waved my hand to tell her to stay.

"Okay. Be careful," Yoru said, sounding bored. As I nodded and walked out of our room, I heard Yoru begin to converse with Negative, her old friend from the Sanctuary.

I made my way to the courtyard that we had just been in. By now, the sun was up, but still new in the sky. I glanced around at the bare ground. The base was bare and kind of reminded me of a boot camp.

I sat on a lone bench after finally finding one, feeling something twist in my heart when I remembered Yomi and Negative's moment in the room. I pulled my knees to my chest and pressed my forehead to my knees, allowing my pink loose hair strands to fall in my face. A sigh slipped between my clenched teeth.

"Kairi," a _way_ to familiar voice said. I gasped, and looked up. Lightning stood before me. I immediately sprang backwards. "Hey, calm down," he said, gently.

"What do you want?" I demanded, taking on a defensive stance.

"To talk to you," he said, simply. I was taken aback by this. He wanted to talk? Really? I didn't trust that, or him.

I didn't move, but cautiously said, "Okay." Lightning took a step forward, and I flinched in fear. A memory of his red eyes and sharp fangs flashed through my mind.

"You shouldn't be scared. I don't want to hurt you." I nodded once, still nervous and uncomfortable. He seemed to be looking me up and down, examining me like I was data that needed to be analyzed. This made me even more uncomfortable.

"I don't trust you," I finally said. I could summon Kuroyasha in a split second, and she would be in my hands. The problem was: he was ten times faster than me.

"I don't blame you. I'm dangerous, Elliot's second strongest Vampire. Well, _pure_ Vampire," Lightning said. I nodded slowly and took a cautious step forward. He didn't move he just stood there.

"What do you mean by _pure_ Vampire?" I asked.

"Many Vampires taint their blood with Werewolf genes or shape-shifter genes. They're the power crazy ones. They're sad excuses for Vampires, and give the rest of us a bad name." Lightning hissed the last sentence.

I stayed quiet, not really wanting to be attacked. My arm was really bothering me now, aching and burning with every beat of my heart. He seemed to notice my irritated arm that was still swollen.

"I did that?" Lightning whispered, gesturing to my arm. It was phrased as a question instead of a statement. I never took my eyes off of him; maybe because of fear, maybe because of adrenaline.

"Yes. Your Fangira did it," I whispered, without hesitation. He looked away from me.

"I'm sorry," he said. Shock changed my features. Sorry? "I wish I could control myself but Master Elliot has complete control of me when I get like that…when…when I fight, or get angry, even if I am emotional, my eyes turn red, and my fangs come out. Then I'm at his mercy."

"That's terrible," is the only thing that escaped my lips; I couldn't make myself say anything else. I didn't feel as threatened as before as Lightning's eyes met mine again.

"You don't know half of it. Master Elliot is a terrible king. But the Sanctuary is my home. I follow Master Elliot to protect my family and my home." By the way he had turned thoughtful and a bit hesitant I could see that this was a very touchy subject to him. His lips curved into a humorless smile. "My brother doesn't seem to care, though."

I followed his gaze to a window in the building that was the base to see a young man about the same age as Lightning looking at Ash and Kiyo. I looked at the features of the guy, and, remarkably, he looked the same as Lightning. Except his eyes were green. A _very_ deep green. I could see it all the way from here that his eyes were green. His hair was a little shorter than Lightning's hair, but the same deep black color as Lightning's. I turned back to Lightning who was now looking at me.

"Your brother…works for Ash?" I asked, confused.

"Thunder and I are twins. At first, we were both recruited into Master Elliot's army, but Thunder refused to work for the tyrant. He almost died because he disobeyed his orders. Master Elliot told both of us he'd kill our family if we didn't obey him. Thunder didn't listen. He ran off to the Paranormal World, and now our father…" Lightning paused for a very long moment. So long that I didn't think he would reply. But he eventually finished. "He's dead."

A twinge of remorse hit my stomach. "Elliot shouldn't have the right to do that," I whispered.

Lightning laughed without humor. "Who's there to stop him? No one can kill Master Elliot. There have been many attempts. Nothing ever works."

"Why don't you just join Ash's side?" I challenged.

"If I do, my mother and my sister will be slaughtered," Lightning said a cruel hint to his voice. I didn't flinch like I wanted to. I stared for a few second before I did something that may have changed my life.

Before I knew what I was doing, I walked up to him and hugged him. His body went rigid, and he didn't react. He only stood there. "I'm so sorry," I whispered. I pulled back, and put my hands on his tall shoulders. "Elliot is cruel. He should die where he stands. I'm sorry for your loss."

Lightning looked down at me. "There's nothing you could do to prevent any of this. You shouldn't sound so sorry and upset. I shouldn't even be here." Despite his comment, he stayed planted on where he was.

"I feel terrible for you," I said, taking a step back to give him some room. He shrugged as he stared at the ground for a long thoughtful moment.

"Thank you," he finally said.

I felt a smile curve my lips before I even registered his words. "You're welcome." My reaction made him smile. A _real_ smile. I opened my mouth to reply, but felt a presence coming from behind us before I could speak. My Lightning glanced behind me and I felt the strong urge to turn.

I looked back, and, to my horror, saw Yomi walking out of the door. Lightning touched my cheek, and I felt a stab of pain in my head.

_ I must not be seen here with you. You mustn't tell anyone! Good-bye, Kairi. May we meet again on better terms,_ Lightning's voice echoed in my mind, and his hand was suddenly gone. His _presence_ was suddenly gone. My cheek tingled from where his hand had just been. I felt a blush rise to my cheeks, and quickly turned to face Yomi.

"Kairi, who was just here," she asked, looking around. "And what's wrong, you look sick?"

I automatically smiled my best fake smile, and said, "What do you mean, Yomi? No one was here."

"Dude, I just saw some dude with black hair out here. I came down here to see who the heck it was, but when I walked outside, he just vanished," Yomi replied.

I twitched. "Uh, that was...um that was…," I stuttered. She gave me a suspicious look, and suddenly understanding was written all over her face. Aw, crap. She knew. She would freak out and tell Ash and it would be off with my head! But I hadn't done anything! I had only listened, and I could use that little fact. Yomi's voice broke my panicked internal babble.

"That was Lightning…" she said, putting her hand over her mouth.

"Yomi, be quiet!" I begged. She looked at me wide-eyed.

"It _was_ Lightning?" she said, in a fierce whisper.

"Listen!" I urged. She gave me a suspicious look that told me to continue. "Just, keep quiet about him!" I begged.

"Why?" she demanded in not-so-hushed voice.

"I'll explain everything…," I said, but was cut off by a sound coming from my window. Negative jumped from the window. About one foot from the ground, he warped the time around himself, and landed perfectly on his feet.

"Who was just here?" he demanded taking on a fighting stance.

Yomi and I turned to look at each other. She gave me a hard look, and whispered, "Would _you_ like tell _him_ that?" I glared at her before turning to face Negative, and plastering the best fake smile I had on my face.

"Oh, that? That was just…Thunder," I said, using the first person in my mind that resembled Lightning.

Negative gave me an incredulous look, and pointed to the window where Ash, Kiyo, and Thunder were still talking. "Thunder's with Lord Ash."

"Uh, did I say Thunder? I meant to say the groundskeeper," I quickly amended, feeling another twitch spasm coming.

Negative was quiet for a moment, and said, under his breath, "Now that you mention it…he did look a lot like the grounds keeper…" Yomi and I exchanged surprised glances. There was really a grounds keeper?

"In that case, come here, Kiyomi," Negative said, opening his arms. Yomi smiled a bit awkwardly, and blushed, but walked up to him and let him hold her. I smiled at them, and lead them inside. Yomi and Negative followed at their slower pace. I could still feel the tingling feeling from Lightning's touch on my cheek. The thought made me blush. Which I was not good…I needed to get my head clear.

I made my way to our room, and as soon as I opened the door, I was greeted by Kuroyasha.

_Did he hurt you?_ Her voice was a snarling roar that echoed through my head. _Do you know how close I was to throwing myself out of that window and trampling that ignorant Vampire! As soon as I saw him through your eyes I wanted to throw him off a bridge with my teeth!_

_Calm down, girl!_ I thought, quickly. _He didn't hurt me; he just told me his story._ She mentally snarled, and walked back over to Shiroyasha. Lancer was talking to Yoru.

"So, that winey baby is dead?" Lancer asked. Had I missed something? Surely they weren't talking about Archer…were they?

"Yea Archer's dead…," Yoru whispered. The tear jerking sorrow that had Yoru's voice so broken choked me. Archer Sypher was one of our closest friends before Yoru lost her memories. He died in the process along with Rufus, another of our close friends.

I felt sadness consume me at the reminder. Memories of Archer flashed through my mind, and I tried to push them out. Yet, they kept coming, until I realized it was Lancer's memories of Archer that he was remembering. Like a miniature slide show, they played until I wanted to scream and pull my hair out.

"Lancer. Enough," I commanded, feeling tears brim my eyes. He looked up, startled, and bowed.

"Yes, my lady," he said, respectfully. I went to Yoru's side, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright," I said, simply. She looked up at me, and smiled weakly. "Archer was a great servant, and he is missed greatly, Yoru."

"Yea, you're right. He was a good servant. He kept me safe," she said, allowing herself to remember him. I smiled reassuringly, even though I felt the opposite; I had to blink rapidly to make the tears go away. I missed Archer and Rufus.

I sighed, wishing the sigh would take away the stress of Archer and Rufus's death as I walked back to my bed. After my sadness finally settled and left, boredom consumed me; soon we were talking about nothing in particular.

And as mindless chatter filled the room, thoughts filled my mind. What was my mother doing? Was she okay? Had she told the police I was missing? Was she worried? Did she care? These thoughts flooded my mind before I could even think of possible answers for them. Then I thought of Mommaw and Poppaw, my grandparents. What were _they_ thinking? Were they scared for me? There were so many questions buzzing in my head that I felt dizzy.

So I said, "I wonder how our parents feel right now," to maybe snap me out of my avalanche of thoughts.

"That was a random thought, but a good point," Yomi said, thinking about it. A small sad smile curved her lips. "I bet they're worried…"

"Mine aren't really worried," Yoru stated simply. "They have Sayo to make them think I'm fine."

Her words made me restless. I thought of Carol, Poppaw, Cheshire (my cat that I had named after Cheshire himself), Mom, Dad, and Mommaw, relapsing the thoughts and questions. Sadness twisted my stomach. We had been here for what? Four days? It felt like so much longer…

Negative pulled Yomi close to him, and held her there in a comforting way. I smiled, and looked away. I realized how much I wanted someone to hold me and tell me things would be okay. No one really wanted to hold me. And I felt a strong longing to be held affectionately. Pulling my knees to my chest, I let myself be lost in my thoughts.

A few hours passed, and Kiyo joined us. She was in a happy mood when she waltzed in and sat down on my bed. I smiled, and nudged her. "Get some, Kiyo," I teased, and Yoru joined in with me. Yomi rolled her eyes as Kiyo blushed deeply.

"Yea, Kiyo, get some!" Yoru said, slurring her words.

"So what did you guys do?" Yomi asked, ignoring Yoru and I snickering.

"We talked to Lightning's," she paused to scowl at the name, "twin brother, Thunder. I didn't know he had a brother. They look remarkable alike, except for the eyes." Kiyo glanced around the room, as if to see if anyone was listening to their conversation. "Not to mention how _sexy_ that boy is." Kiyo dragged the word _sexy_ and added a whistle at the end of her sentence.

I laughed, and Yomi and Yoru gasped, "Kiyo! Ash!" I laughed, and nudged Kiyo's arm again.

"Yea, he is kinda hot," I admitted. Yomi and Yoru scowled at me, and I couldn't help but laugh again. "What? I can't _help_ myself! I probably must think every guy in the Sanctuary and Paranormal World is hot. You know how I am."

"Yea, literally," Yomi said, glaring at me through a crevice between Negative's arms that were still wrapped around her.

"Well, Yomi, if you haven't noticed, Yoru and I are both not taken. That gives us the right to look at how good men look," I said, laughing afterwards.

"Huh?" Yoru asked, clueless, after hearing her name. A chorus of laughter surrounded the room and afterwards talked about random things until the sun cast long shadows of twilight onto the walls of our temporary room.

"Bed time," I chimed. We talked about sleep plans, and decided we would sleep like we had last night. Kiyo didn't want to sleep alone, and wanted to sleep with me instead. That was fine with me, I didn't mind the company. (The base was pretty creepy…especially at night…)

I hopped up from the bed, and undid my long braid that was frizzy and loose in front of the same mirror Yomi had been brushing her hair at this morning. It weaved gently, all the way to a few inched past my waist. I smiled to myself, and used my good arm to brush through the soft pink hair that waved in and out like a waterfall of pink.

I easily finished brushing my hair, feeling tired despite the fact that I hadn't done a single thing that day except be lazy. I walked back to my bed and climbed under the covers with Kiyo. She sighed heavily, and Lancer and Axel join us on the far end of the bed. Axel allowed Kiyo to cuddle with him for warmth.

I smirked, noticing how comfortable she seemed with this. Did this imply she liked Axel? I couldn't help but suppress a laugh; Kiyo and her boys. After awhile, the room had calmed down, and Kiyo was sleeping. I thought of the day's events. Glancing over at Yomi's bed, I found myself surprised.

Her eyes were staring at me. I flinched a bit, in shock. The glint in her eyes told me she wanted me to tell her about Lightning right then. I glanced at Kiyo. She was clinging to a sleeping Axel. I smiled slightly, and slowly tried to slip from my bed. Once upright, and on my feet, I looked back at Lancer and saw him stirring only a little bit.

Relieved, I walked to Yomi's bedside. I noticed Negative sleeping all the way on the other side of her bed. I wasn't surprised. She sat up, and quietly got out of bed. She walked across the room, and I followed her, wincing when I flexed my arm by accident. She walked out into the hallway, and down the stairs, leading to the grounds we had just been in earlier that day. Yomi walked to the place she had seen Lightning and I talking.

"Tell me everything," she demanded, still whispering. The base walls had ears, so I knew we had to keep quiet. I let myself take a soft deep breath.

"Yomi, you can't tell _anyone _about this, okay? I mean, no one can know at all," I whispered.

"I can't promise you that," she said, immediately. "I can't just lie to Ash and Kiyo."

"Kiyomi!" I pleaded. She looked up at me, unsure. She saw how desperate I was, causing her more confusion. "Please!"

"Why? I mean, he almost killed us. Why would you not tell anyone about him showing up in the courtyard? Did he threaten you? What did you even talk about?" Yomi asked, all in one breath.

"I'll tell you," I said, "If you don't tell them about it. Please, Kiyomi." I felt desperate, and pathetic; begging was a sign of weakness. The thought came automatically from an unknown memory in my head, but I shook it off and worried about the matter at hand. Why was I so desperate about this guy? I mean, he _had_ tried to kill me…

"Oh my gosh, Kairi!" she said, in outrage. "Can't you just tell me? I won't tell, okay?"

"Promise?" I asked, holding my hand out. She looked at it, her face becoming a bit uneasy. She glanced up at my face, then back at my hand. Indecision was prominent.

"Promise," she finally said quietly. Taking my hand, I felt a promise bind its way through us both. This feeling surprised her, but she didn't pull back.

I pulled her by the same hand she was already holding to the bench I had sat on when Lightning had first showed up. And I told her everything. And as I progressed, a blush spread across my face. And I miserably came to a conclusion that made me want to cry. No, I couldn't possibly _like_ him, could I? When I finished, she stared at me for a long moment.

"Kairi!" Yomi shouted, suddenly. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, Yomi! Shh!" I whispered shocked at how loud she had yelled. "You can't tell anyone!" She gave me an incredulous look.

"You can't be serious!" she hissed.

"Yomi, I think I like him…" I whispered, looking down.

"Aww…," Yomi said, smiling. "Wait a second! No, this isn't good! He's an enemy! You're so stupid!"

"I can't help it!" I said, exasperated.

"Dang it, Kairi!"

"I'm sorry!" I whispered. Yomi gave me a long hard stare filled of thought. Finally, she spoke.

"Don't let him break your heart, 'cause I'm telling you, I'll break his face with Judgment," Yomi warned, clenching her hand into a fist. Judgment appeared in her hand. I twitched.

"I believe you," I said, quickly, feeling a bit relieved. She let him disappear and turned her gaze back to me. She let out a long sigh.

"I can't tell anyone, right?" Yomi whispered. I nodded slowly. She closed her eyes, and put her hand to her temple. After a long time, she nodded and opened her eyes, to look at me. "I won't tell anyone. Not unless I really have to."

"Thank you, so much, Kiyomi," I whispered, hugging her. She hugged me back. She knew how serious I was being when I called her Kiyomi. That's why she didn't make an even bigger deal out of it.

"Just don't let your guard down on him, Kairi. I mean it. He's…he works for _Elliot_…" Yomi said, letting her sentence trail. I released her from my hug, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"I know. Never get my hopes up…" I said, remembering the false hope I had that Night Rider would like me and take care of me. I shook my head, and smiled again. She stood, and stretched.

"Well, I guess we should head back to our room," she said. I nodded, and stood too. We walked back into the castle, and back to our room, silence surrounding the air surrounding us.

I opened the door, and came face to face with Negative and Lancer. Yomi and I both gasped, and jumped back.

"So, where have you both been?" Lancer asked, looking at us.

"Uh…well, we were…picking daisies?" Yomi said, using an excuse that came from the top of her head.

"Kiyomi," Negative began, "You don't like daisies very much. And it's quite late to be picking daisies." I felt my stomach clench in panic.

"We were not picking daisies! We were, uh…marigolds, we were picking marigolds," Yomi said. "I kinda got them confused."

"Then…where are they?" Negative asked. My head spun; we were totally caught unless I could make something up to cover our faults.

"We dropped them on the ground…and the wind blew them away…" I said, quickly.

Negative gave us a suspicious look, and walked to the window. He stuck his hand out. "It's not windy," he said, turning to face us. We froze.

"You talk to him, then," I whispered, after Yomi gave me a glare.

"Okay, Negative, you caught us," Yomi said, sighing. I turned to give her a look that said, _are you crazy? Don't tell him!_ "We were just taking a walk out in the courtyard. We know it was dangerous, but the night was so peaceful, and we couldn't sleep, so we decided to get some fresh air…"

"I see," Negative said, after awhile. Lancer was staring down me down the entire time. I just kept smiling, and going along with Yomi's story. Negative walked towards us. "You're right. It is dangerous. Next time you should tell us where you're going so we can escort you."

"Okay. We'll do that next time. Sorry about the scare," she said, laughing nervously.

Negative and Lancer exchanged glances and turned to go back to our beds. Yomi and I both high-fived quickly and mouthed yes. We followed them back to the beds, and got under the covers.

"So…how are the flowers?" Lancer asked.

"They were alone, and wanted some company," I said, sarcastically.

"Yea, they were," Yomi said. She gave me a look that mirrored her thoughts, _What the heck, dude? They're going to question our sanity._

I gasped in surprise at the sound of her voice in my head. Lancer gave me a questioning look. "What's wrong, young master?"

I shook my head. "Just a little pain from my arm," I lied quickly, smiling reassuringly. _Yomi, can you hear me?_ I thought. Her eyes went wide. Negative didn't seem to notice; he was examining her wrist.

_Dude…do we have a…mind connection or something?_ Yomi's voice whispered.

_Holy crap, we do! Wait until we tell Kiyo!_ I shouted in joy.

_You know, I can hear you, right?_ Lancer's voice had entered the conversation.

Yomi shrieked in surprise loudly. Negative looked at her, worry creasing his forehead. "What's wrong?" he asked, gently, moving closer to her.

"Yea, just my hand is a little tender…" she said, making something up. He glanced down at her wrist that was resting in his hand.

"Oh, I'm sorry, love," Negative said, gently laying her hand back down. She quickly took his hand in hers, wincing a bit at the action.

"No, no, I'm fine," she said, quickly. She smiled at him, and thought, _do not come out of the abyss like that, Lancer! You scared me half to death! Even though it was only your voice!_

I held in my chuckle, and turned to look at Lancer. He was smirking. I rolled my eyes and thought, _you aren't allowed to tell anyone about anything that happens in my mind. That's an order._

_ Yes, master._ Lancer says, reluctantly.

"We should all get some rest," Negative said, sliding to his side of Yomi's bed.

"Yea, we should. It seems really late," I said, sliding under the covers. I yawned. "Night, guys." Unconsciousness consumed me instantly.


	9. Paranormal World

_**~Chapter Eight: Paranormal World~ **_

When I woke up, I found Lancer's arms wrapped around me. I felt a blush spread across my face, and was about to punch him when he whispered, "Not my master…" I paused, and looked him over. His face was contorted with concentration, and maybe some pain.

His arms weren't relaxed around me, but more like a tight embrace of protectiveness. I looked around the room to see Negative sitting on a chair across the room by the fire place. Was I the only other one up? I glanced back at Lancer, who had begun sweating. I shook him, but he didn't budge. His breathing increased, as did the tightness of his arms around me.

"Lancer," I said, trying to wake him up.

He suddenly jerked upright in the bed, and gasped, "No!" His arms jerked away from me, and wrapped around his torso. I looked at him, confused, and slightly worried. He took in his surrounding, and sighed shakily. Lancer leaned back and noticed our proximity, then scooted away. I gave him a questioning look.

"What's wrong?" I asked. He looked over at me, looked away, and sighed again. I nudged his arm. "What is it?"

"Just a dream," he muttered. I felt a small concern slip over me.

"Lancer, it was more than that. What's wrong? What happened in the dream?" I asked.

"It's nothing really, it doesn't matter." I stared him down for about a minute and he continuously avoided my gaze.

"Fine I'll tell you, just _stop with the eyes, they burn_!" I smiled victoriously. "The joker game had begun. I was your servant, obviously. And we were at a stalemate. The only ones left in the Joker Game were you, Kiyo, and the Joker. He was waiting for the winner of our battle, but you were refusing to fight Kiyo. So the Joker got mad, and threatened to kill you. I had told him not to, and that I would gladly go down for my Master, but he is cruel. He didn't care. He killed you off, and in doing so, killed me as well." Lancer said this reluctantly, like he was admitting a secret of some sort.

"Well, that's not that bad," I said, blowing off my stunned feelings.

"You weren't there. You weren't experiencing it in my head," Lancer said.

He had a point there. But I fell silent and didn't press the subject. A long time passed before my friends, one by one, woke up.

"Morning," Kiyo said after tossing and turning for awhile and finally waking. She looked exhausted.

"Good morning," I replied, looking at everyone.

Yomi smiled at everyone and then noticed that Negative was sitting across the room alone. She gave me a puzzled look and, got up to sit down next to him. She began to talk with him, while Yoru began to speak.

"Only one more day, _Guardian,_" Yoru teased. I sighed heavily, and groaned. The reminder made my arm ache, but it wasn't as bad as yesterday. That was a sign it was healing, thank goodness. But also meant I would be training soon.

"I only have one more day until I become a slave for a bunch of demanding jerks that call themselves Guardians!" I groaned. Everyone laughed at me and made comments about how I probably wouldn't survive the first day.

"A little harsh, don't you think, Kairi?" Yomi laughed. Negative had his arm around her, and was listening to our chatter. She leaned against him, letting his other arm wrap around her in a hug.

"Not really…," I muttered. Yomi rolled her eyes, and continued speaking quietly with Negative.

I looked around the room, feeling a bit out of the loop. All my friends were talking in little conversations of their own. Lancer was staring at the ceiling, as if trying to avoid conversation. I nudged his arm, making me wonder of he was really okay. "Hey. What's wrong, Lancer?"

"Nothing, my lady," he replied, immediately. I sighed, and hugged Lancer on impulse. (I loved hugs.) He tensed a little, but relaxed after awhile. "Young master, that's not necessary," Lancer mumbled. I let go and smiled at him, one of my hopeful happy smiles.

"Why not? You're a friend," I said.

"I am a servant," Lancer said evasively. I rolled my eyes.

"Lancer, you're _my_ servant. And I will take anything that comes against you, just as you will take anything that comes against me. Lancer, you're mine. And I will gladly claim you as mine, and I will not be ashamed of it," I said this with all the confidence I had in me.

Lancer was smiling by the end. I smiled, too, proud that I had made him happier. "Well said, Miss Kairi," Axel said. I looked around in surprise and realized everyone was watching me.

"Uh, yea, thanks Axel," I said, kinda awkwardly. Everyone laughed, including me.

"Yes, well said, Guardian," Yoru laughed. I rolled my eyes again.

"I have got to get up, and start moving or I will never get out of bed today," I sighed not really wanting to move from my comfy bed.

I forced myself up. I went to the mirror and brushed through my hair again. Lancer got up, and walked to Kuroyasha. He sat on one of the couches next to her, and patted her head. Thoughtful silence fell over the room as I brushed my hair.

Once done (finally), I smiled, and said, "So are we going to waste my last day of freedom just sitting here?"

"Of course not. We're moving to the castle today. We're going to the Paranormal World," Kiyo said, smiling sheepishly. Shock coursed through me and for a second I thought I had misheard her, but noticed the reactions of my friends. I knew she had said what I heard.

"We're going to the Paranormal World and you're just telling me this now?" I asked, bewildered by the news. "What about our stuff? Our beds and everything?"

"Ash is going to teleport them there, calm down," Kiyo laughed.

"We're going to the Paranormal World!" Yomi cooed happily. I laughed, still a little shocked that we were leaving so spontaneously. Had she and Ash talked about this yesterday? Yoru's voice broke through my concentration.

"So wait, how do we get there?" Yoru asked, speaking for the first time since we got on the topic of going.

"Ash is going to open a portal, and we're going to go through it," Kiyo replied. I looked at her in astonishment and a little bit of irritation.

"We're taking the portal?" I asked, feeling myself twitch. "You know I can never land right when we take the portal. I land on my face."

"I would laugh so hard if she was the only one that landed on her face," Yoru said.

"I know! It's like we all land epically and when she comes out, she falls," Yomi laughed. Yoru burst into laughter. Kiyo tried to hold in her laughter, but slipped.

"Ha ha, guys, so funny." I said, sarcastically. "If we _are_ going through the portal, I guess Lancer and Kuroyasha should come back i, right guys?" I said, hinting at them to come back inside me.

Lancer and Kuroyasha glanced up at me. "Oh. Right, my lady," Lancer said. I smiled and nodded. Lancer and Kuroyasha began to fade, and then _swoosh!_ flew right into me, as if melting at my touch.

_So…young master…can I still not tell anyone of your thoughts?_ Lancer asked, slowly.

_ No! No one is allowed to know my thoughts. No one,_ I replied quickly.

_ I can, though!_ Yomi shouted in my head. I mentally laughed, and felt Kiyo enter the conversation from her own head.

_Kairi, you know we were only joking with you this morning, right?_ she said, sounding a bit concerned. I ignored her comment, too excited to worry about that; she still didn't know about our mind connection to Yomi.

_Kiyo, guess what! Yomi has a mind connection with us!_ I said, quickly.

_What? She does?_

_Yea, I have a mind connection with you guys,_ Yomi added, happily.

_Awesome!_ Kiyo shouted. We all mentally laughed. I was about to think something else before we were interrupted.

Ash walked into our room. "My love," he said, immediately to Kiyo. She blushed, and stood to greet him properly.

They embraced and Kiyo whispered, "Hi."

"I love you," Ash breathed. She blushed more, and buried her face in his chest to hide it. He smiled and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you, too," she mumbled in his chest. He pulled back to smile at her. It was as if they could never get enough of each other. Warmth filled my chest, and I had to clear my throat to speak.

"So, Brother, we're going to the Paranormal World?" I asked, kinda rushing them. I knew I shouldn't, but hey; this was my last day of freedom. He glared at me in irritation.

"Well, Guardian-in-training, yes, we are. So, get your spirit companions and servants. We leave in a few minutes," Ash said. I swear he was so epic that it killed me sometimes.

Axel returned to Kiyo. She leaned against Ashu-Niisama. I quickly pinned my hair up into a long flowing pony-tail. I watched as Yomi brushed through her hair as I had a few moments ago. She let her golden cascade of hair flow naturally. Every so often she would meet my eyes, and then look away.

Yoru was moving better today, and I was thankful for such. I guess in the Sanctuary and Paranormal World, we healed much faster than in the Human World. I looked at Negative, who was still sitting near the dying fire. Yomi walked over and took his hand to pull him with her towards where Ashu-Niisama was.

Ashu-Niisama looked at all of us (that is, after he was done kissing Kiyo.) "Time to go," he said. Suddenly everything was gone. I was surrounded by the darkness of empty space. I gasped in shock, my hands searching for someone, anyone that had just been near me in touching distance.

Suddenly a sharp pain hit my stomach, and I gasped again. My eyes blinked, and I was lying on a cold stone floor. I quickly looked around, and realized Yomi and Yoru were on the ground near me. I sat up quickly, and saw Ashu-Niisama holding Kiyo.

Fear stood not far away, her hair perfectly black, with pink streaks. She was smirking, and her arms were across her chest. "Well, Ash, I see the children made it okay," she said with a small laugh.

"Ha ha, you're so funny," I snapped, standing quickly. I moved to help Yomi and Yoru. I pulled them to their feet, and turned to Ashu-Niisama.

Negative hugged Yomi, and gave her a small smile. "I have duties, my love. I will see you soon?"

"So soon after healing?" she asked, sounding worried.

"Yes. Don't worry about me, love. I'll be fine. Be careful, and don't get lost in the castle," Negative replied.

She nodded, and teased, "I won't. I'll be with Kairi, Yoru, and Kiyo so we won't get lost unless it's together." Negative's smile corresponded with her's. I watched him kiss her hand before he walked off past Fear.

"Well, I guess I should be getting to my duties, too, My Lord," Fear said, giving a small bow to Ash and Kiyo before turning and leaving. "Oh, and one more thing," she added, turning to glance at me. "Have fun seeing the Guardian Training Courtyard." I glared at her as she left. I turned back to Ash.

"So? Are you going to show us around, my liege?" I asked, properly with a teasing tone. He rolled his eyes, and set Kiyo down. She smiled, and held his hand as we walked.

Ash showed us three floors of his castle and told us that there were many more that he didn't have time to show us. Once finished showing us the castle itself, he took us to the gardens. There one whole section in the grounds dedicated to nothing but training; the Guardian Courtyard. When he showed us the Guardian Training Courtyard, I thought it looked the most intimidating. To the northern-most part of the Guardian Training Courtyard a large section was dedicated to the Guardian barracks. Ash informed us that I wouldn't be sleeping there (thank goodness!) Because I was Kiyo's Guardian, I would be staying in the room Ash had made for me.

He introduced us to his royal Guard, one of which was Guardian Haru. Great. I had an _important_ mentor. That meant he would be strong. I mentally groaned. Guardian Haru gave me a knowing glance, and a small smile. I smirked, and pulled a total Kairi move by waving at him like a dork. I could tell he chuckled, and went back to talking to his fellow Guardians.

_Dork, _Kiyo thought in my head. I mentally rolled my eyes at her as we continued.

Ash showed us the rest of the ground, which consisted of mainly the Gardens and the Garden Courtyard. When he was finished, I realized how starving I was. It had been at _least_ twenty-four hours since I had last eaten. And that had been when we were still with Cheshire and Tsu.

_I'm starved,_ Yomi complained to me in my head as if the thoughts had been triggered by my own.

_Dude, so am I! I was just thinking that,_ I laughed mentally.

_I wouldn't mind some food either, _Kiyo sighed in our mental conversation. _We're supposed to eat soon. Ash is going to make a huge toast over me. _ Kiyo sounded miserably embarrassed. I glanced at her, and saw a deep maroon blush spreading across her face. I smirked, and nudged Yomi.

She hid a small snicker. Kiyo rolled her eyes as we walked with Ash into the castle again. We took the flight of stairs that lead to the rooms. Again, Kiyo had her own room. All of her belongings from the base in the Sanctuary were there, but the room was twice the size, maybe bigger than that. She gaped in amazement at it.

The floor was softly carpeted. Flanking her bedsides were two night tables, one with a lamp and the other clear of items. She had a huge book case to the left of her bed that reached twice her height and almost touched the top of the ceiling. To the right of the doorway, a large fireplace was free of embers and wood.

Several tables and desks were spread throughout the large room, and a vanity table with a large mirror stood to the far right of the room. Beside it was a huge wardrobe that was surely filled with her favorite kind of clothing and millions of different dresses (not to mention a pair of matching shoes for each outfit…)

After a few moments of taking in the room, she turned back wide eyed, and asked, "Are you sure this is my room?"

Ash chuckled. "Of course it is, love. That is, unless you'd like to come to our room." His teasing tone made her blush.

"I love this," she said waving her hand at her new room. Ash chuckled as she stared at it.

"Dinner is soon. You can get ready in your room," Ash said, touching her shoulder.

Kiyo nodded still a bit stunned. He then showed us to our rooms, each of us having our own this time. I automatically knew (just by it being us) that we would all be sleeping in one room, no matter how many rooms there were. We would be too intimidated to sleep alone.

Ash led us to Yoru's room first. It was decorated in intricate black and white designs. Her bed was still the same, with the same head board story. She had a black and white rug, and a desk and chair. A fire place sat across from the foot of the bed. It was black marble with white streaks through it. A small couch sat against the wall, big enough for all of us to sit on. A small wardrobe was on the opposite of the room. There were a few pictures of her from past lives, and even a large bed-like thing for her Shiroyasha to sleep on.

Yoru was impressed. "Thank you, Ash," she finally said.

Ash smiled, and said, "Of course, Yoru." She nodded, and finally closed the door behind her. Yomi's room was the next to be displayed.

Her room was based around the royal blue color of her bed. In many ways, it mirrored Yoru's, but the colors varied to blue and black. Her fireplace was made of Lapis Lazuli. Her wooden oak bed posts matched the wooden oak wardrobe and the desk and chair. Her vanity mirror had lots of hair accessories and bows, combs and brushes.

Yomi smiled, sheepishly. "Aww, thank you so much Ashu-Niisama," she said, hugging him, unexpectedly. He looked a little surprised, but hugged her back.

"It's okay Yomi. You're welcome," Ash said, patting her shoulder. She let go of him, and walked into her room.

_Meet me in my room in about ten minutes,_ I thought to her. She closed the door, and replied in my head.

_ Okay, I'll see you then._

Ashu-Niisama led me to my room (thank heavens we were all in the same hallway.) I opened the door, and stared in amazement. I hadn't realized my mouth had fallen open. "And of course, your room, Guardian Kairi," Ash teased.

My lavish pink bed sat against the wall in the center. Above it was a pink veil-like curtain that shielded my bed. I had soft pink carpet across my entire floor, and _my_ fireplace was made of a mixture of pearl and rose quartz. I walked in, and looked around, still stunned. My desk was the same as everyone else's, and my wardrobe mimicked theirs as well. On my desk, I had many photos of me in past lives, some of them with Kiyo, and some with lovers. One of them was of Ash, Kiyo, Yomi, Yoru, Mizu, Yami, and me. I smiled and continued looking around.

Cushioned chairs and a comfy look sofa were near the fireplace. I also had a place for my Kuroyasha to rest her head. I had a bookshelf, too. Kiyo's was much bigger than mine though…

"Do you like it?" Ash asked, sounding casual. I nodded slowly, too amazed to really talk. I finally closed my mouth and forced myself to speak.

"Ash, I love it!" I shouted. He smirked.

"Good. I'm glad I satisfied you. Now, I will see you at lunch. Bye, Guardian Kairi." Ash left, closing the door behind him. I immediately ran for my bed.

I examined the pink curtain closer. It wasn't opaque and allowed you to see through it, but only silhouettes. I noticed I could move it completely so it wasn't draped around my bed. I gently moved the curtain and collapsed on my cushioned comforter. Kuroyasha erupted from, and landed somewhere near my bed. She padded over to her bed, and let herself lay there.

_Aren't you hungry, Kairi?_

"Yea, I guess I should get ready," I sighed out loud. But the bed was so soft, and comfortable, especially after standing so long. I groaned, and got up from my large bed.

Kuroyasha stared at me through her large eyes, as her head rested on her crossed paws. "What?" I asked, smiling.

_You seem so happy, Kairi,_ Kuroyasha's voice said. _Much happier than you were in the Human World. Even though we couldn't talk, and you didn't know I existed, Lancer and I still watched over you. When Kiyo went missing, you became worried, worried to the point where we were afraid you may have taken your life,_ Kuroyasha said.

I was surprised to learn this piece of information. They had been watching me? This entire time? And they were worried? How long had they been watching…?

"The Sanctuary makes me happy," I trailed off. "I've always wanted to go to the Sanctuary…And now I finally got here." She smiled a knowing smile and nodded slightly before resting her head back on her paws. I smiled too, and walked to my wardrobe.

Inside, I found a decent looking pink dress that would probably pass Ash's inspection. I quickly changed out of my epic outfit and into the sleek elegant dress. It gave the sense of flowing water. I knew if we were to be attacked, I probably wouldn't be of any help, but for say they needed me, I would be able to kick total ass in this outfit.

I pulled on some pink flats that had also been in the wardrobe. I walked to the mirror on the vanity table. I examined my hair, trying to decide what I could do with it. After a mental battle with my taste, I finally decided a simple bun with a bow would do well. It was harder than it sounds, especially considering my hair was all the way to my hips.

A sudden knock on the door caught my attention. "Come in," I called. Yomi emerged from the hallway in an aqua blue colored dress.

"Zip this dress before I summon Judgment and unzip it permanently," Yomi growled while holding the dress to her. Bewildered, and quickly zipped the dress for her. "Thank you," she said sweetly.

"Ugh…you're welcome?" I said, purposefully sounding scared. She and I laughed before she gave me a high-five.

"So what did you need me for?" she asked, pinning her loose bangs back with a clip baring a star.

"Have you slipped up about Lightning?" I whispered. The mention of his name brought the slight blush back to my cheeks. It also brought on the mental growl from Kuroyasha. I rolled my eyes at my over-protective lion.

"No, of course not. I told you I wouldn't. I promised, and you know I don't break promises," she said, sounding a bit irritated. I nodded, feeling a bit more relieved.

"Good. Let's keep it that way," I whispered. She sighed, and rolled her eyes, before we continued getting ready.

Yoru and Kiyo met us in the hallway outside my room. Yoru wore a short black dress to her discomfort. Kiyo wore a rich blue colored dress.

We followed Kiyo to the dining hall door where Negative and Ash were waiting to escort Yomi and Kiyo into the dining hall itself. The door alone was ornate and amazing. It was made of carved oak.

Yoru and I exchanged glances as Negative and Yomi took arms. Ash turned to us. "Now, because either of you don't have escorts, you will be escorting the King and Queen."

"Say what!" Yoru and I both gasped. Ash smirked, and nodded to the both of us.

"All you have to do is walk in front of us, Kairi on the right side, Yoru on the left side. When we reach the chairs, just take your seat next to Kiyo and Yomi," he explained. I nodded in unison with Yoru. Okay, that couldn't be too hard. "Good. Now, go on and take your places."

I quickly parted ways with Yoru, and stood to Kiyo's right, just slightly in front of her. Yoru stood in front Ash. I held myself with pride as the doors opened. We walked in unison into the huge dining room ahead of us.

I could see a large dining table with many people sitting. The second the doors opened they all stood in honor of Ashu-Niisama. Yoru and I walked Ash and Kiyo to their seats, and took our next to Yomi and Kiyo. Negative sat beside Yomi, taking her hand under the table.

Rath, Fear, Night Rider, and Nightmare all sat near Ash, like a close circle of family. Guardian Haru and the other elite Guardians sat not too far away from them. Yoru and I glanced at each other uneasily as everyone else sat down.

Dinner was served soon after the sitting, and we dined. Yoru and I made small talk (when we weren't stuffing our faces.) After a long time of silent dining and small murmurs of conversation, Ash cleared his throat and silenced everyone.

"I'd like all of you to finally meet the love of my life, maybe for your first time or your hundredth time. This is my beautiful, wonderful Kiyo," Ash said, motioning to Kiyo. Her face reddened like a cherry. "She is the most beautiful creature that has ever walked any world."

"Ash," Kiyo murmured, embarrassed. "You don't have to tell them that…" She looked miserably embarrassed.

"Why would I lie?" he whispered, putting an arm around her. She leaned against him. Yomi and I looked at each other, holding in our cute comments for later…

We finally were excused, and were allowed to return to our rooms. I hadn't been so full in a long time. I walked into my room, and automatically let my dress slip off of me. I kicked my flats off, feeling relieved to be barefoot. I released Lancer as soon as I had comfortable pajamas on.

"Stay here, tonight Lancer, Kuroyasha," I commented to both of them. They both nodded without hesitation.

I went into the hallway. I walked into Yomi's room to find Yoru and Yomi in pajamas, talking quietly. "So, does anyone know whose room we're sleeping in?"

"We were thinking yours," Yoru said.

"Have you _seen_ mine?" I laughed. She gave me a questioning looking.

"It's _all_ pink," Yomi clarified.

"Oh, great. Mine," Yoru said, automatically. "I will not be caught dead surrounded by pink."

"You guys are just racist against my color!" I whined jokingly.

"Have you _seen_ your color?" Yomi laughed, as we walked towards the door.

"Jerk!" I joked. She punched my arm playfully, as we were greeted by Kiyo in the hallway. We told her about sleeping in Yoru's room, and we all agreed to it. The day had been long, and most of us were too tired to make conversation on the way to Yoru's room.

Once there, Yomi and Kiyo climbed into the middle. I lay beside Kiyo, and Yoru lay beside Yomi. We didn't talk much except to say our goodbyes. Without a bad thought in my mind, I was sucked into sleep.


	10. Guardian Training

_**~Chapter Nine: Guardian Training~**_

"Up and at 'em, Kairi!" Rath's voice shouted, breaking through my comforting shell of sleep. I jumped in surprise, and fell out of the bed.

"Ow!" I shouted as I hit the cold floor.

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Kiyo gasped. My eyes adjusted to the bright light of the light being turned on. I looked up at Rath who was standing near the door. He was smirking and laughing at the fact that I was on the ground.

I sat up and glared at him. "Ouch, Rath. That hurt," I said through gritted teeth. Rath's dark brown hair and golden eyes came into focus as Rath's laugh boomed into the quiet room, increasing the number of complaints.

"Rath, what the heck, man," Yomi complained still half asleep. I stood, wobbling at first, until I got feeling in my feet.

"What is the meaning of this?" I demanded, yawning.

"Have you forgotten already?" Fear's voice came from beside me, making me jump a foot in the air. "You have Guardian Training, Fatewin."

I groaned as I realized how true this was. But...what about my arm? I glanced down at it to see a pink scare left. Nothing else. And the stitches were gone.

"So, Shugo Kairi, get into your training outfit," Rath paused to toss me a bundle of clothes, "and meet me,"

"_And_ me," Fear added, glaring at Rath.

Rath rolled his eyes, and continued, "And meet _us_," he mocked Fear's voice, "in the Guardian Training Courtyard. Ten minutes, no more…or you'll be late. See you in a short while, Guardian-in-training!" Rath laughed. Fear rolled her eyes, and punched his arm playfully.

They both left, closing the door behind them. I groaned loudly. Kiyo sank back onto the bed in relief.

"Ugh, do we _have_ to go?" Kiyo moaned, pulling the covers over her head.

"Yes, its Kairi's first day of Guardian Training!" Yomi shouted. This made both Yoru and Kiyo jump. I sighed and unraveled the ball of cloth.

It consisted of several outfits. One was a pair of simple pink shorts that seemed to be made of a material that would soak up a countless amount of sweat. Lovely. We would be sweating.

To match the shorts, there was a pink tank top that, if I weren't wearing to training, would make my figure look good. There were fingerless leather gloves that were the same shade as my Kuroyasha's handle.

The other outfits were long sleeved, and pants. So we would be training in the cold too? That meant there would be snow…I was really going to hate Guardian Training.

I sighed aloud again, and quickly brushed through my long hair quickly, and tied it into a tight bun. I began to change (with many complaints from Yomi. No one else really seemed to mind. Except maybe Yoru. She seemed uncomfortable, but never complained. Hey, we were all girls.) Everyone else got up, and we dispersed to out rooms, so everyone could be properly dressed for the morning. And the sun wasn't even up. Great. I hoped it wouldn't be cold. I mean, it was summer…

I put my other training outfit in my wardrobe, and closed it up. I put on my combat boots, and took a good look at myself in the mirror. I smirked at my reflection. I looked pretty good, for the first day of training.

Sadly…I didn't look as good afterwards.

After summoning Kuroyasha and Lancer to return to me, Yomi, Yoru, Kiyo, and I hurried into the Guardian Training courtyard. We had been late because Yomi couldn't find the right hair clip! If I was late on the first day, Rath would never let me live it down! Thank god, they hadn't started.

Fear, Rath, Guardian Haru, and other Guardians were near the front of the yard, and protectants lined benches, watching. Kiyo, Yoru, and Yomi all exchanged glances. They sat as close to me as they could as I joined the other Guardian-in-trainings.

"Ah, Kairi, how nice of you to make it," Rath laughed, stepping towards me. He put a hand on my shoulder and leaned close to my ear. "Don't worry, Kairi. Calm down. I'm on your side, but only because you're training to be Kiyo's Guardian." He pulled me to the front of the crowd where Fear and Guardian Haru were standing.

I flushed. He smirked, and replied, "You look like you're about to die. You can relax and take a breather. My Lady, will you come join you're proud Guardian-in-training, if it's not too much trouble, of course."

Everyone's heads turned to Kiyo, who was now blushing deeply. She nodded quickly. "No, of course I can." Neither of us were expecting to introduced in front of the whole damn crowd…Rath, why?

She stood, and quickly walked towards us. To my surprise, about two thirds of the way to me, she tripped. I gasped, and automatically jumped forward to catch her. She gasped as soon as she hit my arms. She blinked and realized I had caught her…in front of everyone.

Kiyo's blush grew (as mine did…), and she practically hid behind Rath and me. Rath chuckled.

"This is Queen Kiyo. And this is her noble Guardian-in-training, Kairi, who is becoming a Guardian for _three _people. She and Kiyo along with the other two protectants were brought here from the Sanctuary about three days after they arrived there from the Human World. She's our newest Guardian, so give her a warm welcome," Rath explained. Most of them bowed, or got on one knee in respect for Kiyo.

"Rath…" she whispered. "How do I make them stop bowing?"

He laughed, and said, "At ease." She blushed, and he winked at her. "You can sit now, if you like." Kiyo didn't need to be told twice. She scurried off to sit next to Yomi and Yoru where they quickly began talking about the most embarrassing thing Kiyo had been through.

Rath patted my shoulder, and motioned me to go stand amongst the other Guardian-in-trainings. He began by saying, "Okay. You know the drill. Five laps around the track." He pointed to the track around the courtyard we were standing in. I twitched, realizing this thing was bigger than the track at our high school back in the Human World.

We jogged off to the track, and began our laps. Rath and Fear followed us. "Remember! You have to run the first two, and then walk one! Then you run the last two!" Rath shouted. I whimpered as we ran, knowing I was _not_ cut out for this. The burning feeling in my chest and throat grew as I finished off the first lap.

_Come on, Kairi! You can do this!_ I heard Kiyo and Yomi shouting in my mind. I smiled slightly, despite my breathing. I pushed myself forward, until I realized I was running on adrenaline, and nothing more. I hadn't had breakfast this morning. Shit!

About halfway through the second lap, I was ready to collapse. I was about to fall over, and die, I could feel myself getting light headed. Suddenly, a burst of power sent me running faster than I had been before.

_Go, young master! Kick their butts!_ Lancer's voice said. I finished the lap off with help from Lancer, and almost stopped walking altogether. I walked, placing my hands on my head to circulate my breathing better.

As I walked, I hadn't noticed a girl with light blue hair walk up and fall in step beside me. She wasn't panting as much as I was, but I could tell the first two laps had done a good deal on her. She had green eyes the color of grass that clashed with her hair. She was wearing the same exact outfit as me, except it was the color of the clearest blue water I'd ever seen. She had a very young looking face, but looked as if she could kick some serious ass. She gave me a side glance.

"Hi there," she said, kinda shyly.

"Hi," I replied, smiling at her.

"So, you're Kairi, the newest Guardian here," she mused.

"Yea, that's me," I sighed.

"Well, my name is Misula Diani," she said, holding her hand out. I reached for it, and shook.

"It's nice to meet you, I'm Kairi Lin Fatewin," I paused. "But, of course, you already knew that."

"Sensei Rath seems to be close to you. Do you guys know each other?" Misula asked.

I chuckled and said, "He's known me since I was in the Human World."

Her eyes sparkled with curiosity. "What's it like in the Human World?"

I shrugged. "Boring as hell; I hate it there. Nothing interesting ever happens. It's always so boring. We go to school and learn about our world. How it's destroying itself, and our history and blah, blah, blah…" I sighed.

"I grew up hearing stories about it. It was said to be a peaceful place until wars began to break out," Misula said. I nodded, still trying to gain as much of my strength back as I could.

We were quiet after that as we tried to catch our breath. Soon, we had to run again, and I found myself gasping for air halfway around the fourth lap. Misula slowly began to take lead on me.

_Come on, Kairi, you can go faster than that, _Yomi coaxed in my head. I pushed myself through the rest of the lap. I was sweating terribly by now, and my chest burned so badly…worse than it had when I had to run the Pacer in gym class.

_Kairi, go!_ Kuroyasha shouted in my head, and my whole body surged with a new kind of energy. The energy that had guided me through protecting Kiyo and Yoru; it was Kuroyasha helping this time.

I ran faster than before, and fell into step with Misula. We ran the rest of the way together. I just about collapsed when I stopped at the finish line. Misula put a hand on my shoulder to keep me standing. Rath smirked, and clapped as the last few people rounded the last bend.

"You did well, Kairi," he said, smirking. I shot him a glare and mumbled under my breath.

"Now, pair up. Go get equipment from the sheds. Meet up in the practice field. Wait there for further instruction," Fear said.

Misula and I automatically looked at each other. "Partners?" she asked.

"Partners," I agreed, shaking her hand. The sun was beginning to peak over the horizon and light the sky with warm yellow and pink colors. She and I walked off towards one of the sheds, and talked small talk all the way.

"So how old are you, Misula?" I asked.

"I just turned fourteen," she replied.

"Hmm…I'm about to turn fifteen," I said. She nodded, and we walked into the shed. "So, what are we supposed to get?"

"You should be happy that I'm here for you," she joked. "We have to get swords and shields. Also, we have to get padding and armor. No need to worry about getting hit by the swords, they're all dull."

_ Oh great. I'll look like a weirdo in a shiny suit,_ I thought miserably.

Misula and I both put on the provided padding, and armor. I grabbed a dull sword, trying to attune my hand to its alien feel. My body yearned to summon Kuroyasha instead of this sword.

"You okay, Kairi?" Misula asked, waving a hand in front of my face.

I nodded, and replied, "I'm just used to fighting with scythes. Not swords."

"Swords are my specialty," Misula laughed. She handed me a shield and we walked out into the grounds.

Rath called for everyone to calm down, and be silent. "Now, one of your partners will play offense, and the other will play defense," Fear said.

Misula nodded towards me. "I'll play offense first."

"Okay," I agreed. She twirled the sword with her wrist before striking out at me. I blocked automatically. She smiled, and nodded in approval. She lashed out, as fast as a snake, and I could tell right then, she was experienced with a sword. The sword clashed against my shield, but I held my ground.

Misula spun around, and brought the sword down on my own. The impact made me almost drop the sword. It didn't feel right in my hands as I pushed her sword off of mine with enough force to knock her off her feet, but only made her stumble back a step. She looked a little surprised, but it didn't stop her from counter-attacking with a blow to the knee.

"You slipped," she teased, resuming her fighting stance.

"Only once, so far," I said, matter-of-factly. Misula and I blocked and attacked for quite awhile, before switching. I took on offense. I knew this wasn't going to turn out well, because of my yearning for Kuroyasha. I was going to have to get over it.

I let my arm strike out in a foreign way, and let my body guide me. Misula danced about, dodging my attacks, one after another. After a long time, I finally got a strike to her shoulder.

"Good, good," she said, smiling kindly. "You got me."

"Finally!" I groaned. She laughed as we continued to dance until Rath called us off of each other.

"Now, both of you attack each other," Fear called. Misula and I exchanged glances. We attacked, dodged, and blocked. We were both panting by the end of the session of battle (though I will say, I was more winded than she.)

"Okay, time to run courses!" Rath shouted. There was a large intake and outtake of breath. I looked over at Misula's reaction. She seemed upset by this news.

"What does that mean?" I whispered.

"They use you're protectants against you in a course. You have to protect your protectants, and any person in distress on the way through the course. Your main objective is to make sure your protectant gets through safely," Misula explained. "And sometimes you have to get to your protectant in a certain amount of time, and then defend them from the attackers."

"Are you serious?" I groaned.

"Yea. But my protectant if a Vampire named Grace-Lilly. She can't come out in the sunlight, which is when we have Guardian Training. So I never get to practice with her. I never have a protectant to train with."

I thought this over for a few moments. "Maybe you could use one of mine?" I offered. "I have three. Yoru, Yomi, and Kiyo are my best friends, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind…"

"No, no, it's fine. They usually just make me protect as many people as I can when I go through," Misula replied.

"Okay, let's get this started!" Rath called sounding excited. Misula and I followed the crowd of Guardian-in-Trainings to an area near a long course. Obstacles lined the whole course.

"Ren, you're first," Fear called. A boy with dark black hair and teal highlights stepped forward. He nodded to Rath and Fear in respect before turning to face the course.

"Ready…Set…Go!" Rath shouted. Ren took off running into the course. Suddenly, a sword appeared in his hand, and he sliced through the dummies and at other people.

A boy had a girl by the neck, and was about to snap her neck. Ren jumped up, and kicked him in the face. The little girl gasped in fear, and looked up. She had tears in her eyes, and was shaking. She looked like she was really scared, and this wasn't a course.

Ren took her hand, and pulled her onto his back. He ran forward, dodging all kinds of things from arrows to swords. Ren got the little girl to safety. Not a single scratch marred him. He was breathing deeply, but not gasping. The little girl clung to his leg until Rath announced the challenge over and complete.

The little girl released Ren's leg, and smiled. "Good job, Ren," Fear said. "You completed it well."

Ren nodded, and walked back into the crowd of Guardian-in-Trainings. Others did their challenges and completed them well. Protectants were thrown into the courses, and were treated what seemed roughly. This caused Guardians to get protective, and let their full potential out.

It came time for Misula to do her course. "Wish me luck," she whispered. I smiled and nodded to her. She took sword in hand, and stared into the large open area. The same little girl that Ren had rescued walked up to Misula. She took the little girl's hand, and gave her a reassuring smile.

I watched in anticipation as Misula slowly crept forward, ready for an attack on any side. Suddenly, the little girl let out a shriek, and Misula swung her sword out. Confusion clouded my mind, and I watched closer.

A shadow, as quick as lightning, flashed by them, spooking the little girl again. Misula took off running, automatically pulling the little girl onto her back as Ren had. She sprinted forward, and jumped, barely dodging a flaming arrow to the shoulder.

Misula automatically let her hand strike out to the right, hitting an enemy right in time to stop him. She swerved around large boulders, and jumped a pit of spikes. She landed perfectly, and kept on running.

The last large target came at Misula, and she sliced it open with a flick of the wrist. She landed perfectly at the very end of the course. There was silence as she helped the little girl down, panting like a dehydrated horse.

"Very nicely done, Misula," Fear complimented. Misula smiled, and nodded. She rejoined me, as she tried to catch her breath.

"You did awesome!" I said, amazed. She shrugged while smiling. Others followed Misula. And then, it was my turn.

I cringed when Rath said (quite happily and smugly), "Kairi, you're next!" Fear smirked and nudged Rath. He laughed out loud.

I sullenly nodded, and Misula gave me a comforting squeeze on my shoulder. "You'll do fine," she whispered, and gave me a small push. I walked up to Rath to be instructed.

"You see, you're situation is a little different. You have three protectants, all of which will be in the course. We have illusionists to make you see what we want you too. So, your objective is to get all three of your protectants to safety," he paused to point to the course's finish line, "and if you do that, you pass."

"And if I don't?" I asked.

"Then you work on it. You're course is the easiest, Kairi. Not hard. A lot easier than most of the ones you've seen today."

I nodded, feeling the pressure of everyone's gaze on me. The course looked intimidating, especially now when I was about to face it. I took a deep breath. Rath put a hand on my shoulder, and handed me a sword. "Ready? Go!" he shouted aloud.

I took off running. I dashed into the course, automatically looking for one of my friends. I felt a presence following me, and turned. A came face-to-face with Midnight. I gasped, and felt the need to summon Kuroyasha. She laughed her high-pitched girly laugh before coming at me, fangs bared.

We toppled to the ground, rolling all over the place as my sword went flying a good ten feet away from me. I finally pinned her, punching her in the face. "Bitch, where are my protectants!" I growled. She laughed again, and I jumped off of her. She kicked herself up onto her feet, blood dripped from her mouth where I had punched her.

Suddenly, a dark mass appeared before her. Yoru emerged from it. She was bound at the wrist. I snarled under my breath.

I kicked up towards Midnight's face, and allowed Kuroyasha to help my body flow. She blocked, and we danced a deadly dance. I finally got a blow to her head, and grabbed Yoru's arm. I used my long nails (that I had acquired when I came to the Sanctuary and Paranormal World) to slice through the binding around Yoru's wrist.

"Get to the finish line. I know you can protect yourself," I said, looking around us, feeling surrounded.

"I can help you," she said, automatically.

I hesitated for a moment before finally nodding and saying, "Fine, but you have to leave me if I tell you to."

"Fine," she said, and we both turned to run. I had no weapon because of my forgetfulness, only my Kuroyasha, and I didn't know if I was allowed to use it here or not. I looked around as more presences came upon me.

Yoru sensed this too, and we were soon back to back, ready to kick ass. Trace appeared in my line of vision, holding Kiyo close to him. Yoru growled at something she saw. I took the chance of looking over to her side.

I gasped, and almost lost it. Lightning was holding Yomi by the throat. She was struggling angrily, unable to break free from Lightning's steel grip. "Kairi!" I heard Misula shout. I gasped, and turned to Trace, who was running towards me. Kiyo lay down behind him, looking unconscious.

"Kiyo!" I shouted. That feeling of protectiveness overcame me, and Kuroyasha erupted from me, landing in my hands. I swung at Trace, feeling all the awkwardness dissipate from me. Trace smirked, and drew his sword, blocking my attack without hesitation.

Kiyo stirred as Trace and I attacked each other. She looked up at us as if in a daze. Then she snapped out of it, and jumped up. She tried to run around Trace to get to me, but he quickly blocked her path, never taking his eyes off me.

"Kiyo, Haiiroyasha!" I shouted, as Trace came at me with another strike. It barely missed me. Kiyo nodded quickly, and summoned Haiiroyasha. She swung at Trace, hitting his leg with the blade. Trace snarled in pain, and turned to Kiyo. Before he had the chance to hit her, I hit him as hard as I could in the head with Kuroyasha's handle.

"Get behind me!" I said, automatically advancing to where Yoru was trying to get Yomi free of Lightning's grip. I dashed forward, feeling Kiyo follow me. She stayed near me, as I faced off with Lightning. Fear edged its way through me.

Lightning looked just as I remembered him, black hair and blue eyes, like the deepest of oceans. He had a bad-ass kinda air about him, and I was starting to feel dizzy by just looking at him.

Yoru had Shiroyasha summoned, and we were almost in sync as we both attacked.

"Yoru, get Kiyo to the finish line!" I finally said as Lightning kicked me. I stumbled back, almost landing on my butt in the dirt. Yoru was about to complain until Lightning put his hand around Yomi's throat. Fear and protective instinct cut through me.

"Go! I'll get Yomi!" I shouted, while running forward. Lightning smiled a wicked smile, a smile I knew he would never smile towards, and that's when I realized this was all just an illusion. Yomi gave me a look that told me everything; he wasn't really in front of me.

I smirked, and threw myself forward. I swung at his ankles, barely missing him. Yomi fell to the ground. I took this chance, and ran as fast as I could, pulling Yomi with me.

I allowed her to go ahead of me, making sure she made it through first. We dodged arrows, and jumped trenches. Yomi summoned Judgment and Forgiveness as we ran, and soon I could see Yoru and Kiyo at the finish line.

I picked up my speed, feeling proud that I had actually made it through the course. I let my guard down as we neared the finish line. Suddenly, Yomi shrieked. I froze, and turned to see what she was screaming at.

My blood ran cold.

Elliot stood before us, right in the pathway to the finish line. I backed away involuntarily. "Yomi, run!" I shouted. We ran back the other way. Elliot seemed to be right on our tale, even though he wasn't moving.

"Kairi, to your left!" Yomi shouted. I gasped, and looked. Lightning stood there. He grabbed my arm, and began crushing it. I screamed.

And that's all it took. Kiyo dashed into the course again. Yoru followed automatically, feeling responsibility for Kiyo. Kiyo ran up to Lightning, and punched him on the shoulder.

Lightning looked over at her, and laughed. "This is pretty sad. Your protectant is trying to save you." His voice brought back the feelings I felt before when I was around him.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, while trying not to sound like I was in pain. "Kiyo, Yoru, Yomi, run!"

Suddenly, my vision flashed and an unfamiliar guy was standing before me, holding my wrist. My pain disappeared. I gasped, and snatched my hand away from him.

Instead of holding my Kuroyasha, I was holding a stick. Kiyo, Yoru, and Yomi looked up at me, then up at Rath.

"It's getting late. We'll have to end this one. Kairi has not failed, but she has not succeeded," Rath announced. My protectants seemed to relax.

"You did well, Kairi. You did well," Rath laughed, coming up to us, and putting a hand on our shoulder. I almost collapsed into Yoru's arms, breathless and exhausted and weak with relief

"That…was…terrible!" I shouted. Yoru laughed, and hugged me.

"Aww, it's okay Guardian," Yoru said.

"Yea, it'll be okay," Kiyo laughed, and Yomi joined into the laughter. They all hugged me, and I allowed myself to relax some more. Rath's laugh interrupted my reprieve.

"It's time for lunch," he commented. With those words, I found myself even more relieved.

The dining hall had transformed since yesterday. Lots of wooden tables were spread around the room with benches. At the head of the room, a long table sat where Ash and his inner circle sat. Food was spread around the tables almost like a big buffet. My friends and I sat together, and I watched Misula join the Ren guy and another boy from training. Misula was really nice. Hopefully, we could be really good friends.

Lunch passed with lots of encouragement from my friends about Guardian Training. We had a three hour break for lunch and to allow our food to settle before we returned to the Guardian Training Courtyard. I was told my course could wait because we had to break off on our own, one-on-one with our Guardians.

Guardian Haru taught me the basis of attacking without a weapon. He taught me to fight with my hands and my feet. I knew some of this from a good friend from the Human World, though I couldn't remember his name to save my life. The sun crept across the sky as Guardian Haru and I were in session.

Finally, at sun set, he dismissed me for dinner. I sluggishly moved to where Yomi and Yoru were waiting. I glanced around.

"Where is Kiyo?" I heaved.

"Ash came by and told her that she could come with him," Yoru said, shrugging. I twitched.

"I feel the love," I sighed.

"Aww, Kairi," Yomi said, hugging me. I returned the quick hug. Yomi, Yoru, and I walked to our rooms. Fear told me where some shower were so I could clean up. I quickly showered, and got dressed for dinner. It wasn't a special dinner like last night, so I wore casual clothes. The tables were in the same alignment as they were at lunch. Kiyo sat with Ash at dinner instead of us though. I didn't think much of it.

Dinner passed slowly, and by the time it was over, I was ready to fall asleep. We voted on sleeping in Yomi's room. I dropped Kuroyasha and Lancer off in my room.

Kiyo voted on sleeping with Ash, so it was only Yoru, Yomi, and me in Yomi's room. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I was sucked into a deep sleep.

9


	11. Negative Departure

_**~Chapter Ten: Negative Departure~**_I just finished 10 man!

I woke up the next morning, feeling really groggy. Yomi was dancing around the room, as if it _weren't_ five in the morning. "Why are you so peppy? It's still dark outside, and I have to get up and be run like a mule," I complained.

Yomi looked at me with a disapproving look. "Live life, Kairi, gosh!" I groaned, and put a pillow over my face, wishing to desperately just go back to sleep. "Oh, would you get up already, gosh! You're going to be late," Yomi snapped. I glared at the pillow in front on my face and decided that it wasn't worth hearing her complain. I sat up, and yawned. I glanced over to where Kiyo was supposed to be to find Yoru sleeping comfortably.

"Where's Kiyo?" I yawned.

"Don't you remember? She slept with Ash last night," Yomi replied, sitting on the bed.

"Oh she slept with Ash…Wait, _she slept with Ash_!" I shouted. Yoru jumped, and looked around. She looked over at Yomi and me in surprise. I jumped to my feet and stormed from the room with Yomi on my heels.

My mind swarmed with thoughts of what those two could've done, in bed together; alone! No, that was unacceptable! She was fourteen for the Paranormal World's sake! What if they had had sex! I got angrier at the thought.

I turned a corridor and came to find Kiyo walking down the hall towards our rooms. She was in a blue silk nightgown that came to her knees. She had blue slippers that matched the nightgown as well.

"Why were you sleeping with…?" but I stopped as I actually took in her apparel. "What are you wearing?"

"Pajamas…" she said, slowly, looking at me like it was obvious.

"What about your normal 'no care' pajamas?" I asked, puzzled.

"I couldn't wear those to sleep with Ash. Embarrassing…" she said, giving me a look like I was crazy.

I shook my head as if to clear it. "Anyways…," I said.

Ash walked up next to Kiyo from the abyss. I glared at him. "You slept with Ash?"

"Yea, she did," he said smugly. "And she plans to for the rest of the week." Speechless, I stood there for a second, debating on what I should yell in response.

"Ugh!" I finally shouted, and stomped down the hall. "Fine! You better not lose your V-Card!" I yelled before storming into the room we had been residing in the night before. Yes, this defiantly wasn't going to be the best week ever.

The week passed slowly, and the weekend was like a blessing. I relaxed, and slept in, making sure that I was one-hundred percent fully rested before getting up on Saturday morning.

I haven't mentioned the fact that throughout the week, Lightning had been visiting me without anyone knowing. Even Yomi didn't know. I kept it to myself, Kuroyasha, and Lancer.

I knew this wasn't a good idea. It would be best if I told Kiyo and Yoru, or maybe even Ash but…I couldn't bring myself to do it. He wasn't that bad of a guy once you got to know him.

Lightning cared about me, too. This fact made me blush, every time I thought about it. He flirted with me, but rarely. Usually he was just kind to me. When he visited, it was usually after dinner, when everyone was asleep.

I remember the second time we had met, clearly, because I wasn't expecting it at all. I reached over to my side table and picked my pink diary that had _Hope_ printed on the cover. I flipped open the cover letting myself get lost in my memories of this week.

_July 14, 2010, Wednesday, Around Midnight_

_My Room, Paranormal World; Ash's Castle_

_Dear Diary,_

_I can't tell you how surprised I am. I was sitting in my room, because we had decided to sleep in here tonight. Yomi and Yoru were already out cold and I was just reading over my diary. Then I heard a noise outside the window. I got up and went to the window. I opened it enough to see outside. Darkness coated the Gardens. I saw movement in the darkness, and my curiosity got the best of me. I went outside, and looked for the movement I had seen. When I didn't see anything, I was about to leave and go back to my room. But something stopped me. A voice stopped me. "Kairi," a deep seductive voice said. I froze, and slowly turned around. Lightning was staring at me, as if he could see me perfectly. "Lightning?" I whispered. He smiled, and said, "Hello. It seems you're…a bit battered up." I blushed deeply, and replied quickly, "I had Guardian Training." "Ah…I see." He stepped towards me, and took my hand in his. Compared to my skin, he was warm. "How did you know I had come to the Paranormal World?" I asked. "You're presence wasn't at the base in the Sanctuary anymore," he replied as he pulled me closer to him, and began examining my wounds that I got today. I came upon the spot where he sliced my arm open with Fangira. He looked away, automatically letting my arm fall to my side. "Lightning, you shouldn't let it get to you." I said, gently, nudging his arm with my hand. "It's all healed now." I said, smiling. Lightning turned back to face me and said, "You're nothing like anyone I've ever met. You're kind, and gentle. You can be fierce, but calm, and nice too. You aren't like most people I meet in this war. I can't describe the way you make me feel," he breathed. What he just said made me tingle. He felt the same as I did? Maybe he liked me… "Was that too much?" he asked. I shook my head automatically. "No, no, I was just…well I kinda feel the same way…" I admitted, trying to hide my blush. Lightning smiled, looking a bit relieved. He looked around, and sighed, "It's getting far too late for you to be up. I should go." I felt my heart protest. He turned to leave. "Wait, Lightning!" I whispered. He turned back, and gave me a questioning look. "When are you…well, are you going to come back?" I asked. He smiled, and walked over to me. He put his hand behind my head, and pulled it closer to his. He kissed my forehead, and I felt my whole body seem to ignite with passion. My cheeks burned with a blush. He pulled away just enough so that his lips weren't touching my skin anymore. "I will, as long as you wish it." Then he disappeared, as if he were never there. I quickly made my way to my room, and sat down to write it down. What do I make of that? He said he would come back, and told me that I was like no other person in the war that he had met! I can't wait to tell Yomi! It's getting way too late. It's probably one by now! Wish me luck with Guardian Training. I'll defiantly need it._

_Shugo Kairi Fatewin_

_July 15, 2010, Thursday, Not sure what time,_

_Kiyo's Room, Paranormal World; Ash's Castle_

_Dear Diary,_

_We just had dinner. We decided on Kiyo's room tonight, even though she wouldn't be sleeping with us. She has had a preference to sleep with Ash lately, to my very large disapproval. Misula and I double-teamed a tough Guardian today. We did a good job. I'm happy that Misula and I are becoming friends. It feels nice to have someone to relate to. I feel happier here than I did in the Human World. I kinda miss my family though…I really miss Yami and Mizu. Our friends are still in the Human World…They're probably freaking out really bad. I know Mizu is…I really hope Lightning will come tonight. I know that's kinda wrong and that he's on Elliot's side…but he makes me feel special. He makes me feel weird and he gives me butterflies in my stomach. I like that feeling. And I really hope Kiyo doesn't hate me for it. I'm worried that she'll never forgive me if she finds out I've been seeing Lightning. I still haven't told Yomi. I probably should soon. She's the only other person that knows, not including my servant and Kuroyasha of course. But they don't count. Oh, and Ashu-Niisama sent Negative on a mission. Yomi is so worried. She's had dreams about it. I told her that he would be fine, but she claims to have a terrible feeling about the whole thing. I'm getting kinda tired. So I guess I'll write when I can. Bye!_

_Shugo Kairi Fatewin_

_July 16, 2010, Friday, Maybe 11:00,_

_Yomi's Room, Paranormal World; Ash's Castle_

_Dear Diary,_

_I don't have long to write, I'm supposed to meet Lightning tonight. I'm getting better at physically fighting. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. It just takes concentration. Misula is totally kick-ass when it comes to using a sword. She can do all kinds of tricks, and she's really fast! I hope I can learn to be that good with my Kuroyasha. Lancer has been quiet lately; ever since the first time I met Lightning in the Gardens before Guardian Training. I'm kinda starting to worry about him. Maybe it's just a servant thing. Kuroyasha claims she doesn't know what's wrong with him, but I'm sure she does. It'll come out when he's ready. Lightning came last night, and took me to an enchanted forest or something. We were only gone an hour, and we almost got caught. I had to lie to Rath about having to talk to Misula. He was suspicious, but I think he bought it. I'll have to make sure and remind her to cover for me. Negative still hasn't returned from his mission. Even Yoru is beginning to worry about him. Yomi can't even stand still when he is mentioned. It's about time I go. Bye, wish me luck!_

_Shugo Kairi Lin_

"Hey, Kairi!" Kiyo called from my door. I jumped, and snapped my diary shut. She looked at me in a concerned way. "What's wrong?" she said, walking into my room further.

"Nothing. You just surprised me. Goodness," I laughed. She gave me a look, and laughed too.

"Ash has gotten really worried about Negative. He wants us to meet him in the throne room," Kiyo seemed to be thoughtful about this. It kinda made me worried, but I nodded, and put my diary down on the side table. I got up, stretched, and got dressed. I commanded Lancer to stay in my room, no matter what. Kiyo helped me put my hair into pigtails, and we met Yomi and Yoru in Kiyo's room (I had decided it best if I had a room to myself the night before because of exhaustion.)

"Feeling better, Guardian?" Yoru asked, smirking. I smiled, and nodded.

"Much, much better," I replied. Yomi gave me a worried look, and I didn't have to use our mind connection to know what was running through her head; Negative. Kiyo and Yoru had begun talking about how much of a grouch I had been lately because of my lack of sleep.

I took Yomi's arm, and said, "Guys, we should go see what Ashu-Niisama wants." I said this to lighten Yomi up. We all knew we were on the way to the throne room. Yet, Yomi didn't say anything. She allowed me to lead her to the throne room, not really acting normally.

As soon as we came into the throne, Ash took Kiyo into his arms. "There has been a problem. Negative left for his mission on Tuesday. It's now Saturday. I'm beginning to worry about him. This mission wasn't that hard, especially for someone as advanced at Negative. He should have been back by now," Ash said, grimly. "The last we've heard from him was his investigation at Amethyst Lake."

My heart sank. And Yomi began to shake. She had grown paler, and I could tell she was getting ready to break. I put an arm around her shoulder.

"I'm sure he's okay, Yomi…" I tried to comfort. She looked at me, before shaking her head and jerking away from me. She took off running towards the door, and busted out of the doors, probably headed straight for the grounds and then the town outside the castle grounds. The large ornate double doors slowly closed behind her.

"Yomi!" I shouted after her. "Ash," I began.

"She can't go alone," he sighed. "Guardian Kairi, your job is to get Yomi and, if possible, Negative back here safely."

"I'm coming," Kiyo and Yoru said in unison, as an automatically response.

"No," Ash said, sharply. "Yoru, it's your job to keep Kiyo here, and out of danger."

"I'll bring them back, Ashu-Niisama," I said, ignoring their complaints and bowing. "Kiyo, I'll be fine."

She glared at the ground. "No, I should get to go!" she snapped. I sighed, and gave her a reassuring look before running after Yomi. I ran out the doors, and into the great hallway that was the very front entrance of the castle. I ran out of the castle and into the Castle Grounds.

I dashed across the Garden Courtyard and towards the drawbridge that opened into the town surrounding us. I came up to it to find the drawbridge down. Oh, Yomi, what have you gotten yourself into?

I ran through the old looking town. It seemed like I had stepped into a time machine; everything looked like it was right out a movie about the medieval times. Every so often, I would stop and ask if someone had seen a girl with long golden hair run by. They would point me in the right direction, and I would run onward.

I finally made it to the outskirts of town. Kuroyasha erupted from me, and I told her to sniff for Yomi's scent. She obliged, and I jumped on her back. We were about to run until I heard someone shouted, "Wait!"

I looked back to see Kiyo and Yoru running towards us. From them, Shiroyasha and Haiiroyasha appeared in lion form. They hopped on their backs, and I smiled.

"You broke out, didn't you?" I laughed.

Yoru smiled, and chuckled. "Hey, it was for the best. Yomi needs us."

With that, we ran. Kuroyasha picked up on Yomi's scent and kept us on the right trail. Not too long after, we saw her running ahead of us. She had Judgment and Forgiveness, both summoned, and was jogging with all her might.

We stopped near her only to have her keep running. "Yomi, we're here to help!" I shouted. She finally seemed to stop, and fell to the ground. She seemed exhausted. Kuroyasha walked up beside her, and I jumped down. She was gasping wildly; she had run well over a few miles. Yoru and Kiyo were by her side instantly. It was the Vampyre genes in her.

We helped her to her feet, and Yoru said, "Yomi, you can't do reckless things like this, because if you're hurt it's not going to be any more help for Negative. The best thing for you to do is travel with us, and then we can find Negative together and bring him back."

Yomi nodded, hearing Yoru's reality check. "Fine," she panted. I helped her up, and onto Kuroyasha.

"Let's do this," I said, to Yoru and Kiyo. I mounted my lion, and we dashed off towards Amethyst Lake. Rumor was that Amethyst Lake was the deepest color of purple you will ever see. The reason being was, at the bottom of the lake, amethyst crystal lined the floor. Over the years, the water had turned purple because of the crystals.

I was looking forward to seeing it. Amethyst was my birthstone anyways.

We finally made it to Amethyst Lake (with Kuroyasha's help…I didn't know how to navigate the Paranormal World any better than the Sanctuary.) Yomi was the first one to jump off. "Negative!" she shouted.

Nothing followed her shout except the heavy silence. I looked over into the water. It was true; it was the deepest purple I had seen. Kiyo, Yoru, and I split off to try and find any hint of Negative's presence.

When we returned to the lions, we were all empty handed. Yomi climbed onto Kuroyasha again, and I joined her. "We'll search the fields near here. He can't be too far away," Yoru said.

We nodded, and let her lead the way this time. Yomi stayed quiet most of the ride, and for once, I wished someone would have broken the awkward silence. We searched the fields for what seemed like forever.

Finally, we decided it was too dark to do anything else. To Yomi's great displeasure, we stopped, and made camp. Kiyo sent a mental message to Ash telling him we were all fine, despite him being very angry that she and Yoru had snuck away. I created a small fire pit and brought it to life with my fire.

I laid my head on Kuroyasha, allowing myself to look up at the stars like I had when we were in the Sanctuary. After counting sheep, humming to myself, and massaging my head, I finally fell asleep.

I awoke to a start. Kiyo and Yoru were making a commotion. I quickly stood, and questioned, "What's wrong?"

"Yomi is gone!" Kiyo said. This startled me. I looked around our small camp to see that she, in fact, was gone.

"What? Why in the heck!" I shouted, kicking a rock. I sighed, and took a deep breath. "Okay, let's just look for her. I'm sure she can't be too far away."

Yoru and Kiyo agreed to this, and we started looking on the outskirts of our camp. I searched around trees and boulders, rocks and hills. With no luck, we started looking together. We were about to search a boulder when suddenly a shriek filled the air. We all turned to see what it was, only to find Yomi jumping from the boulder.

"What's wrong?" Kiyo demanded. I watched as Yomi ran in the opposite direction of the boulder.

"What the heck are you doing?" I called as she almost tripped. We all looked at the boulder to see Negative coming out from behind it.

"There he is!" Kiyo shouted. I would have felt relieved by this if I didn't have such a terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Negative stepped forward, towards Yomi. His face was blank. As he moved closer, I noticed his eyes were distant. And gray. His usual green and red eyes were tainted by gray.

"Something isn't right," Yoru said. As soon as she said it, I knew what was going on.

"He's possessed. Yomi, run!" I shouted. I summoned Kuroyasha to my hands, and took off running for her. Suddenly a tree crashed down in front of me. I yelped, almost falling backwards. I ran for Yoru and Kiyo, about to tell them we had to help her, when suddenly, I couldn't move. I looked over to Kiyo and Yoru, and they seemed to be in the same predicament. Negative had frozen the time around us. And all I could do now was watch Yomi and Negative battle it out.

Yomi looked back at Negative, and ran for a tree nearby. She quickly jumped up into the branches as Negative walked towards her. "Negative, stop, you don't want to do this," Yomi tried to reason with him.

Negative pulled out a sword, and I mentally gasped. It wasn't just any sword, but the sword of the Sanctuary. Yomi squeaked. Negative cut right through the tree, probably using his ability to control time to do so. Yomi jumped from the tree right before it hit the ground. She rolled onto the ground.

Negative walked towards her, and she jumped up. She was panting, and he was just getting started. I was terrified for what would happen next. I couldn't watch Yomi die like this!

Yomi's Point of View

I watched as Negative slowly stepped forward. I was gasping from running. Adrenaline pulsed through me. All I could look at were his eyes…dark…distant…not Negative's eyes at all. He raised the sword of the Sanctuary and swung at me. I held up Judgment to defend myself. Sparks flew as the metal clashed. I held Judgment steady, keeping up enough force on him to stop the blade from coming at me.

"Negative, stop, this isn't you," I whispered. "You would never hurt me." He didn't seem to even hear me. "Please, you'd never do this, because this isn't you, Negative. You're under their control, and they're making you do this. Come on, Negative, please snap out of it," I whispered, desperately.

Negative's eyes grew wide for a split second; he stopped in front of me. He looked down at me, then at the sword in his hands.

"Negative…?" I whispered. Suddenly, his face became constricted, and his eyes went blank again. He raised the sword, and brought it down toward my chest. I couldn't bring myself to move, so all I could do was watch as the sword of the Sanctuary came plummeting towards my heart.

Suddenly, a large white mass flew right into him. I gasped, finally breaking from the astonished state. I gripped Judgment and Forgiveness tighter and looked to where Negative and the white mass had landed. He was wrestling Shiroyasha off of him.

Negative used his time control to get Shiroyasha off of him. Shiroyasha snarled, but stayed frozen. Negative turned back to me. "Negative, I don't want to hurt you, but I will if I have to," I bluffed.

He didn't seem to be effected by this threat. He stepped forward more, and I knew we would have to fight to end the insanity.

Kairi's Point of View

When Negative froze, we seemed to melt. I could move again. I was about to race over to Yomi and Negative, until dark mist arose in front of Kiyo, Yoru, and me. I jumped back, and went to defend Kiyo and Yoru.

"Shiroyasha, go!" Yoru said, dropping her scythe. It morphed into a lion and dashed past the accumulating smoke-like material. Kiyo and I braced ourselves to defend Yoru.

As the smoke dissipated, it left three figures, one much smaller than the others. Trace, Midnight, and (to my horror) Lightning stood before us. Lightning and I locked eyes, as the others greeted each other.

"Why hello, children," Midnight sneered. Her shoulder length black hair bounced lightly and her red eyes glistened in the sunlight.

"Cut the games, bitch. Move so we can help Yomi," Kiyo growled. Midnight laughed.

"Aww isn't she cute?" Midnight asked, rhetorically.

"She's ten times cuter than you," Yoru challenged. "At least she isn't ugly!" Midnight glared at them both, and Trace tapped her back.

"It's time for a lesson, Midnight," he said, calmly. "It's called restraint. Kill Yoru, and get Kiyo to me. Alive."

"Of course, Master," Midnight replied curling her lips to reveal her fangs. She walked forward, and brought out a sword. "Let's dance, children."

Trace followed after her. "You know what to do, Lightning," Trace said. I looked at Trace who was not paying attention to me, but Yoru, Kiyo, and Midnight instead.

Lightning stepped forward, Fangira in hand. I felt fear slash into me, this again?

_Play it out._ The words came to me from nowhere in particular. I watched as Lightning came towards me, Fangira in hand. Kuroyasha snarled in my head.

"Kairi," Lightning greeted.

"Lightning," I replied. He gave me a polite smile, and swung at me. Kuroyasha defended me. I shoved his blade off of us, and swung at him. He dodged easily. Fangira flew right by my cheek, barely missing my skin.

"Cover me, I need to see Yomi," I breathed. Lightning nodded the slightest bit, and took me by the neck. I began pretending to struggle in his grip He turned towards where Yomi and Negative were fighting. I watched them attacking each other, Negative more ruthless than Yomi. Negative threw her backwards and she skidded across the ground. I gasped

"Yomi!" I called desperately, struggling in his grip. I actually _was_ trying to get away now; I had to get to Yomi. She needed me. "Lightning, I have to get to Yomi," I whispered, squirming

"You know I can't let you, Kairi," he breathed. "We'll be suspected, and it will not turn out well."

Negative walked towards Yomi. She was still on the ground, panting. Negative swung the sword of the Sanctuary at Yomi's heart. She brought Judgment up, and they clashed inches from her chest.

I slipped into her head, for a better feel of what she was experiencing, considering I couldn't do anything else.

"Negative, please…" she whispered. "Please don't hurt me. You don't want to, you know you don't want to hurt me."

Negative seemed to struggle. "But…they…" he began.

"No, they're wrong, Negative. You don't have to do a thing they say," she whispered.

"But if I don't…they'll end up hurting you…" he whispered.

"They won't hurt me, because you won't let them," she reassured him.

Negative's force on the sword had weakened, when suddenly it returned with great force. Judgment flew out of her hand, and she screamed when the sword of the Sanctuary cut into her shoulder.

"Yomi!" I shrieked, pulling out of her head. I kicked against Lightning, and he dropped me. I dashed for Yomi, but was tackled to the ground by Lightning. "Let go!" I shouted.

"Kairi, you don't know how much I want to…" he breathed, before "constricting" my neck. "What are you going to do now, Guardian?"

"End your life!" I spat. "Ima koi," I summoned. Kuroyasha appeared in my hands, and I shoved Lightning off of me with her handle. I turned and took off running.

Negative's eyes shot up to me, and suddenly the air coming to my lungs stopped; I couldn't breathe. Kuroyasha fell, and I clutched at my throat, desperate to get air to my lungs. The world spun, and I landed on the ground. Dark spots filled my vision, and I was plunged into the darkness of unconsciousness.

Kiyo's Point of View

I tossed Haiiroyasha back to Yoru, as we continued, back-to-back, dodging Trace and Midnight's attacks. Midnight was getting pissed, and I could tell if I didn't knock her out, she would just end up losing control and attacking one of us.

Yoru got a hit on her right side, sending her leg limp. Yoru was about to cut her head off when suddenly Trace jumped in front of her, and sent her flying backwards.

Right before Haiiroyasha hit Trace he grabbed the handle, and jerked it from Yoru's hands. Yoru swept us both backwards a few steps, and summoned Shiroyasha. He had been released?

I glanced behind us to Kairi unconscious with Lightning kneeling beside her. I ground my teeth. Yomi was screaming for Kairi, and telling Negative to stop. Confusion clouded my mind.

"Kiyo!" Yoru shouted. My head snapped forward and focused on Trace about to sling Haiiroyasha to Midnight. Oh hell, no!

"Haiiroyasha!" I shouted with my hands ready. She faded from one place to the next, landing in my grip. I charged forward towards Midnight. Yoru took on Trace, trying to keep him distracted long enough to let me get some serious damage on Midnight.

She was up on her feet, but limping. I swung for her, and was blocked by her sword. I counter-attacked and hit her left shoulder, slicing all the way down her side. She shrieked in pain, and sliced at me before falling to the ground. Her sword grazed my arm, cutting long, but not deep.

It was enough to make me drop my Haiiroyasha, but not enough to knock me to the ground. I glanced over at Yoru who was trying to keep Trace from getting through to me and Midnight. Trace had his fair share of cuts from Yoru. I allowed Haiiroyasha to come back inside me, knowing that's all the damage I could do to Midnight at the time.

My arm was beginning to bleed pretty bad so I rushed over to Yoru. Trace saw Midnight on the ground, keeled over, and growled. He tore away from the battle, and went to her side.

Yoru smirked at him. "Running away, Trace?"

"No, watching out for the people on my side, like you two should be doing," he retorted.

"I know my friends are strong enough to take care of themselves, unlike you or your…_friend_," she shot back. He glared at us before picking Midnight up.

"This isn't over. You know that, right?" he asked, looking behind us. I turned to see what he was talking about.

Yomi's Point of View 

The sword of the Sanctuary was still in me. Negative hadn't pulled it from my shoulder. He was too busy keeping Kairi immobile. I looked over there to see Lightning looking her over, desperately, trying to seem like he wasn't. His lips were moving, but much to quiet for me to hear. Kairi was still thrashing though she seemed to be unconscious.

"Please, Negative, stop!" I begged. I grabbed at the blade. Negative took the handle in his hand, and pulled it out. I gasped, and starting begging again. "This isn't you, Negative, please stop!"

Negative looked at me, and I saw a slight difference in his eyes. They seemed a little less distant, so I kept going. "You're going to kill her if you don't stop. You're going to hurt me if you keep listening to them. You don't want that, do you?" I whispered. I pulled myself up using a rock near me. I used it to help me to my feet.

Negative's hand began to shake. I noticed Kairi's thrashing beginning to weaken. Like she couldn't move anymore.

"Please, Negative…" I whispered. I weakly stepped forward, and fell against him. He dropped the sword, and it faded away.

"Kiyomi…" he breathed. "Kiyomi?" His voice cracked. Relief flooded through me.

"My Negative…you're alright! You're…well, you're you," I whispered. I looked over to Kairi to see her chest raising and falling rapidly. Lightning looked relieved, before making his face blank.

Midnight was in Trace's arms, limp. Yoru and Kiyo stood about ten feet away from them.

"Lightning," Trace said. Without another word, they all vanished into the Darkness that had brought them here.

I looked up at Negative with his wonderful pure white hair and into Negative's now green and red eyes right before I lost consciousness.

11


	12. Hospitalization

_**~Chapter Eleven: Hospitalization~**_

Negative's Point of View 

"Kiyomi," I said, holding my love close to me. She was limp so I picked her up. Blood was oozing steadily from her wounds…wounds that I had caused…

Kiyo ran to Kairi's side, despite a long cut on her forearm. I carried Kiyomi, cradling her close to me, to where they were gathered around Kairi. Kiyo, while clutching her arm in pain, checked for wounds on Kairi. Kiyo had begun to go into hysterics.

"My lady, it's apparent that you, Kairi, and Kiyomi need medical assistance," I finally said. Yoru nodded towards me. "Negative is right, Kiyo. Our best bet is to get you guys back to the castle. You're bleeding all over Kairi," Yoru said, sticking up for me.

Shiroyasha and Haiiroyasha both appeared beside their masters. Kuroyasha flew from Kairi, landing near her as well. I was riding with Kiyomi, and no one was going to stop me.

Yoru bent down to Kairi, and put her fingers on her wrist. "Her pulse is abnormal. We should get her to the castle," Yoru said, urgently. Kiyo nodded, jerking a little. She was paling, and I could tell she was weakening.

"My lady, we must go," I said, nodding towards Haiiroyasha who was waiting anxiously for her master to mount.

"I'll take Kairi. You care about your wounds first," Yoru said, motioning to Kiyo's forearm. She nodded, and stood. "You take your Haiiroyasha, I'll take Shiroyasha. Negative, you ride Kuroyasha."

Yoru lifted Kairi off the ground, and carried her to Shiroyasha. After securing Kairi, Yoru urged Shiroyasha forward up to Haiiroyasha, who was now carrying a bleeding Kiyo.

I gently put my poor Kiyomi onto Kuroyasha's back. I then pulled myself onto the black beast. She gave a grunt of dissatisfaction, obviously preferring her master. Shiroyasha gave a growl before ripping ahead of us. Kuroyasha followed behind in his track. I assumed Haiiroyasha was behind us.

We ran without stop, towards the castle. Lord Ash would probably be waiting for us. What he wouldn't be expecting was the damage done on us. I squeezed my Kiyomi closer to me as the wind whipped around us both.

I had her scarlet blood all over me, and I knew it was my fault. Guilt cut through my heart, making me wish to die. How could I ever have hurt her? I looked down at her face. It was peaceful, and pale. I took my shirt off, and wrapped her shoulder with it. She seemed to cringe in pain, meaning she could still feel. And she was still alive.

We soon found ourselves running through the town around the castle. As we passed, people stared, others whispered. We reached the drawbridge. Guardian Haru, Lord Ash, and Fear were waiting.

Lord Ash looked angry, but as soon as his eyes landed on Kairi and Kiyomi, they turned to worry. Then, he saw Kiyo, and his eyes flashed red with anger. He was mad.

Fear and Guardian Haru hadn't noticed that we were wounded, and both seemed pleased with the fact that I had returned. Ash turned to them, and commanded an order. Fear and Guardian Haru nodded, without question, and both left.

The three lions stopped, and Kiyo was the first to dismount. "Ash," she said, going to him.

"You're wounded!" he said, almost in a frantic. He immediately turned to Kairi, then Kiyomi. "What happened? Why are Yomi and Kairi unconscious?" He looked to Yoru and me. "I need an explanation. Now."

Ash's Point of View

How could they do this? They had gone and disobeyed me, and now they were all wounded! I grinded my teeth, and felt my fangs had come out.

Yoru got off of Shiroyasha and walked up to me. "I'm sorry, Ash, but Kiyomi was in trouble, and I couldn't sit back and watch her run into danger without Kiyo and me helping Kairi," she said.

"Yea, so please don't be mad," Kiyo whispered. "Kairi and Yomi are hurt, and they need help, Ash…"

My fangs automatically retracted when Kiyo began crying again. I quickly placed a hand around my Kiyo's shoulders, and pulled her close to me. "We'll take care of them, Kiyo. Calm down," I soothed. She nodded.

Negative slowly carried Yomi, in his arms, towards us. Agony was clear in his eyes. Yoru put a hand on his shoulder, trying to bring him comfort.

"We'll get them inside. Then I get the whole story," I said, sharply.

"Of course, My Lord," Negative whispered in a monotone. Even in a monotone, I could sense how much sadness this caused him.

Yoru ran over to Kairi, who Kuroyasha was now nudging gently. "It's okay, Kuroyasha. I'll take care of her. Promise," Yoru told Kuroyasha. She gave Yoru a trusting look before fading into Kairi. Shiroyasha and Haiiroyasha mimicked this movement, fading into their masters.

I helped Kiyo inside and to the infirmary. Yoru laid Kairi down. She then moved to the side of Kairi's bed. Negative gently placed Yomi onto the bed, as if she were a wilted flower that would die if handled wrong.

Nurses immediately began to care for Kairi and Yomi. I told them I would take care of Kiyo. After examining the long cut on her forearm, I gently cleaned it, and made sure it wasn't infected. It wouldn't need stitches, just a bandage. I wrapped it gently. Through this entire process, Kiyo was silent. She seemed to be in deep thought. So I poked into her mind.

_Are you alright, my love?_

_ Huh, oh yea. I'm fine. Just worried about Yomi and Kairi,_ she replied.

_You should worry about yourself a little, too, Kiyo,_ I said, looking her in the eye. She shrugged, and leaned against me. I held her in my arms. _I'm here now, and I will protect you and your friends. I don't like it when you're upset._

She smiled weakly. I lifted her chin, and kissed her gently. Our lips moved in sync for a few moments before she pulled back to breath.

_I love you,_ she thought, sounding breathless in her head.

_Just as I love you, Kiyo,_ I replied, smiling gently at her. I loved the blush that spread across her face. She hid her face in my chest, and I stroked her back. _It's going to be okay,_ I told her.

_I know. You won't let them die, because you're kind and loving,_ Kiyo thought, smiling at me. Of course they wouldn't die. They weren't that hurt. I kissed her forehead anyways.

_And I always will be kind and loving for you._

I held her for a long time, just soothing her about her friends. We watched Kairi and Yomi for a few hours, waiting for one of them to wake up. People began to join us after awhile. Fear, Night Rider, and Rath came by to see if everyone was okay.

I told them of Yomi and Kairi's conditions. They decided on staying. To my surprise, Lancer walked into the room. He sat next to Kairi's bedside, not saying a word.

Then a thought occurred to me. "Why did the servants not assists you in battle?" I asked.

"We were commanded to stay behind. We were commanded to stay out of this fight. And when we're commanded…" Lancer began.

"We cannot defy our masters," Axel said, appearing before Kiyo and me. I nodded slowly, and looked at Kiyo.

"Why did you tell them they couldn't help?" I asked, eyeing her. She didn't say anything for awhile, and then she turned to face me with tears in her eyes. I had upset her? I automatically felt bad for pressing her in such an emotional state.

"Cause I care about Axel. And Kairi cares about Lancer. They are willing to throw their lives in front of ours at any moment of time, and they would do anything for us, Ash. I couldn't lose Axel because of me," she whispered. Jealousy laced through me, but I refused to allow it to come to the surface.

"I didn't mean to upset you, Kiyo," I said, hugging her to my chest. She nodded, and leaned into me. Axel gave a bow before disappearing back into Kiyo. I knew he would always have a place in Kiyo's heart, a place I could never get in.

Kairi's Point of View

_ Ronin clothes…white cloth, flowing in the wind…There's a samurai sword, flashing around in the sunlight. A huge winged figure is near the white cloaked figure in the samurai outfit. Other people, some with strange colored hair, and strangely pointed ears are with the winged figure. They seem to be working together…but who is that boy with the wings? He turns around just as the thought passes through my mind. I feel my eyes widen in surprise as his distantly familiar face registers in my mind. I open my mouth to call out his name, but nothing escapes my mouth. The scene fades, leaving everything void._

_ Darkness…black…cold…alone…_

_ These words slowly crept into my mind. I looked around the blackness, unable to see anything. At first I was alone. Then I saw the last thing I had before I had entered this darkness._

_ Negative standing over Yomi, the sword of the Sanctuary pierced through her shoulder. She was screaming. Negative was staring at me. Then, the image dissolved._

_ "Kairi, my lady, please wake up!" I heard Lancer say in my head. I smiled. Oh, so he was here too? Maybe I wasn't alone._

"Kairi, come on. Come back to us," I heard another voice, one that I recognized as Ashu-Niisama's. I felt confused now. What was going on? Was Ash in my head too?

I heard crying. I knew that was Kiyo. I blinked, forcing my eyes open. Everything was blurry. My eyes slowly adjusted, and I heard a large collection of sighs that must have been in relief. I looked around, and sat up. As I did the dream rushed back to me. The image of the angel in my dream haunted my mind, much fuzzier than in the actual dream. Just as I was about to say something about the angel and the guy in white from my dream, my gut told me to shut up. So I kept my mouth closed, and focused on my surroundings instead.

Ash, Kiyo, Yoru, Night Rider, Fear, Rath, and Lancer surrounded my bed. "Um…what the heck happened to Yomi and Negative?" was my first question that came to mind after I shoved away the haunting images from my head. I buried them deep in my mind, forcing myself to forget the images until a later date.  
"Everyone's okay now, Kairi," Ash replied. I looked around and saw Yomi lying on the bed next to me. Her eyes were closed, and her shoulder was wrapped in bandages. She had several other bandages on her arms and legs.

Negative sat beside her bed, holding her hand. His eyes never left her. "What happened?" I whispered, utterly confused.

"Negative was possessed. By Elliot," Fear replied. "Elliot gave him the Sword of the Sanctuary to finish you and Kiyo's other friends off. Elliot's control is almost impossible to break through, much farther than Negative's capability."

"Then how…?" I questioned, but Night Rider continued.

"I do believe it was Kiyomi that brought him back to his senses. When she was wounded, and probably when she was begging him to stop, it probably triggered something in his mind that released him from Elliot's control."

I nodded slowly, then questioned, "Why is she sleeping?"

"She isn't. She was knocked unconscious from blood loss. We're not sure when she will wake up," Ash said, trailing off. The first thing that came to my mind was Lightning holding me back from getting to Yomi.

Anger flared through me like it did when I controlled fire. "Why was _I_ unconscious?" I said, acid dripping from my words.

Ash looked at me strangely. The look seemed kind of concerned, but I didn't explain myself. When I didn't say anything, Ash decided to continue answering my questions.

"You were unconscious because Negative stopped the time around your lungs, causing no air to come in or out. After awhile it knocked you out, and Kiyomi broke through to Negative before you died." I didn't say anything. My anger towards Lightning was too great. Kiyo's cries had stopped when I woke.

"I'm going to the grounds," I snapped, standing. I wobbled a little, and Lancer automatically stood to steady my balance. "Thanks," I mutter, walking off.

"Kairi, what are you doing?" Yoru and Kiyo demanded, shocked. But I didn't answer either of them. I only shrugged. I heard Lancer say something about how I was upset about Yomi and needed some time alone.

"Kairi, before you do anything stupid do me a favor and eat so you don't pass out again. You haven't eaten anything all day," Ash said. I knew he meant it as a joke, but right then I didn't need one.

"Fine," I snapped, before opening the doors and storming down the corridor. I heard footsteps behind me, and felt three presences near. I glanced back to see who it was, and found that it was Kiyo, Yoru, and Lancer. Irritation coated my mind and I quickly took a deep breath to calm myself down.

"What's wrong, _Shugo Kairi_?" Yoru said, making 'Shugo Kairi' sound _chibi,_ a cute way of saying things that involves raising her voice a few octaves.

"Nothing, Yoru. I'm sorry I stormed off like that, but how could Lightning have the audacity to hold me back!" I snarled, real Human-like. Lancer's eyes widened briefly.

Kiyo wore a confused expression. "Of course he has the audacity. He's on Elliot's side. You act like he _wouldn't_ have held you back." I shrugged, realizing I had said too much.

"I don't know. He seemed…like the kind of guy that would understand that I needed to get to Yomi," I bluffed easily. She seemed a bit suspicious before buying the story.

"Let's go to the dining hall so you can eat," Yoru said after a long silence in the corridor. I nodded, and we walked to the dining hall. I didn't eat much when we sat down. Kiyo and Yoru talked about Yomi, so I mostly tried to zone them out. Lancer tried to make small talk in my head.

_My lady, are you okay?_ he asked me. I mentally shrugged, obviously pissed. _I'll be quiet, if you'd like,_ he said quietly.

_No it's not your fault that Lightning was a dick. He was just…trying to protect us both. But he caused Yomi to get hurt. Badly, _I thought. I squeezed my eyes shut.

A hand clutched my shoulder. I opened my eyes to see Lancer's hand on my shoulder. _It's okay, young master. It'll work out._

I allowed myself to smile a little. He smiled reassuringly. "Kairi, eat!" Yoru scolded. I jumped at her random outburst.

"Sorry, I'm just worried about Yomi!" I said in my defense. Kiyo sighed dramatically.

"She's okay. We were worried about you, because you weren't acting normal when you were unconscious," Kiyo replied. "Ash said that she was completely fine, especially now that the bleeding has stopped." I didn't even ask what she was talking about. I was worried about Yomi, and that was final.

"And there's another thing that Ash wants us to do," Yoru said, cautiously. I looked at her.

"What is it?" I asked trying to focus on what she was going to say

"He wants us to go to the Human World to check on Mizu and Yami," Kiyo trailed off.

"Oh…the Human World," I said. It had been what, eight or nine days? Had it really been that long? And we were already wounded. Wow, we really were pathetic excuses. I cleared my head and continued. "We're missing there, aren't we? If we're seen, we'll be suspected."

"Exactly. So Ash is going have one of his inner circle witches to cast a spell on us to make us look like we do in the Sanctuary. Unless someone knows us very well, or knows about the other worlds then they won't know who we are," Kiyo explained.

"How long are we supposed to be gone?" I asked.

"A day. We're supposed to go tomorrow," Yoru said.

"Too bad we can't see our families…" Kiyo trailed off. I sighed, and nodded, beginning to feel the need to stop by and explain myself. But that was futile. We couldn't just disappear then reappear out of the blue.

I went to the grounds with Lancer after eating. I looked to the sky and saw clouds rolling in. It was going to rain. Lancer and I walked around the grounds. He allowed me to vent all of my emotions onto him. He was such a good person…I wouldn't expect a guy to worry about my feelings.

As we walked the perimeter of the walls around Ash's castle, we talked about the pros and cons of continuing to see Lightning. In Lancer's eyes, he was a threat to me, and any threat to me should be killed. I told him he would be foolish to take on someone as powerful as Lightning.

A sudden rustling noise came from behind, and we both went on the defense. Lancer's lance appeared in his hands, and my Kuroyasha erupted into my hands, blade poised.

Lightning stepped from the bushes, looking amused. I glared, and lowered my weapon. "Oh, it's you."

Lancer continued to point his weapon at Lightning. He looked down at Lancer before looking back up at me. He cleared his throat. "Lancer, down," I commanded. To Lancer's dislike, he lowered his lance. "What have you come for Lightning?" I asked, looking away from them both.

"I came by to see you, and make sure you were okay…the last time I saw you, you weren't conscious," he reminded me in a whisper. The pain and desperation in his voice made me turn to look at him.

"I'm fine," I reassured him quickly. He stared at me with those eyes, those beautiful deep blue eyes that I could get lost in.

"I'm sorry about your protectant. I know you're probably upset with me about that," Lightning whispered.

"Lightning, I'm her Guardian. You wouldn't know the feeling of losing a protectant, because you don't have one," I said, looking away from his eyes, as much as I didn't want to. It was getting hard to be mad at him.

"No, you're right. I don't know what it feels like to have a protectant," he paused, and stepped closer to me. Lancer almost went defensive, but I rejected the idea in my head, quieting him further. "But I do know what it feels like to have someone very important to you, one that you must always protect, especially from yourself," he whispered. As he said this he got closer and closer. A deep blush was creeping across my face.

We were inches apart. "And, I _will_ always protect you from everything, even myself," he breathed. His lips were inches from mine, and I felt a bit light headed. His scent washed over me like a perfume.

I hadn't realized Lancer had disappeared. He had faded into me. Lightning closed the distance between my lips and his. I felt electricity run through my body, and made myself react to his kiss. I moved my lips in sync with him letting this world, and any other slip from my mind.

A few moments later, he pulled back, smiling kinda awkwardly. I couldn't stop smiling after that. That stupid blush from before had grown darker. Lightning stroked my cheek with his thumb. I hugged him, and let his arms enclose me. He held me for a few minutes, and finally kissed my forehead. "I must go," he said. "I'm terribly sorry for causing Kiyomi to get hurt worse than she already was."

I sighed, and said, "We have to go to the Human World for a day or so. Don't show up, okay?"

"Of course. I will return in a few days, and then we shall…talk, I suppose," he said before chuckling. "Good bye, beautiful Kairi."

"Bye, Lightning," I whispered. He gave me a slight bow before disappearing through a portal unlike the portals Ashu-Niisama used. I then realized how it was beginning to darken outside as the rain clouds moved in more, and the sun began to set.

I decided to go inside, feeling happy and bubbly inside. Lancer didn't talk like he usually did in my head. He usually made small talk with me, and was unusually quiet for his cocky, pride consuming self.

"Lancer? What's wrong?" I asked. Lancer remained quiet. I sighed, and just gave up. He was obviously very untrusting towards Lightning. He wanted him dead, almost as much as Kiyo did. What was I going to do with those two?

I reached Kiyo's room (by looking into her head to see whose room they had chosen for us tonight) and collapsed on the bed, still feeling hazy and clouded up.

"Ash canceled the mission for us to go the Human World. He said he'd rather him go than us. He doesn't want us getting caught or getting in trouble," Kiyo said. "Especially after what happened today." I nodded after registering, which took me longer than usual.

"That's great. That means we can stay here, and not worry about wasting tomorrow in the Human World," I said.

"And of course, she's worried about her day off," Yoru joked. I laughed aloud and she joined in.

"That's because I'm a lazy fat kid," I laughed. She rolled her eyes. We got ready for bed. As we did this, I heard thunder rolling outside. Lightning streaked across the sky. If one word suited that moment, it would be irony.

I crawled into the bed, and heard the rain begin to fall. I allowed the sound to lull me. Soon, I fell into a deep sleep that involved dreams of Lightning and I, together.

Morning came, and I automatically thought about Yomi. I looked over to Yoru and Kiyo. Kiyo was clinging to Axel again. I shook my head, trying to remember when and _if_ he had joined us last night in the bed.

Yoru gave a yawn before stretching and sitting up. "We should go see Yomi," I said. She nodded, still seeming to be tired.

"I'm sure Axel will take care of Kiyo while she's sleeping," Yoru laughed softly. I nodded, and motioned for the door. We walked to the infirmary in our pajamas, and opened the door. Ash sat near Yomi's bed.

Negative was murmuring quietly. I looked over at them to see Yomi's eyes opened, looking weak, but very much alive. I nudged Yoru who was smiling, too. I quickly ran forward, Yoru right behind me.

"Yomi, you're up!" I said, surprised. She smiled at me, reassuringly. "Good!"

Yoru laughed and joked, "Don't overdo it, Kairi, gosh! You're going to wear her out and she just woke up."

"I'm sorry, I just feel much more relieved," I replied. Yomi smiled, and told me everything was okay, and that it would stay that way for awhile. I took comfort in her words and allowed myself to truly relax for the rest of my day off.

8


	13. Mission

_**~Chapter Twelve: Mission~**_

A long time passed. We stayed at the castle, barely ever getting into trouble (or fun at that...) Negative seemed to never be the same as he had been before he had been possessed. Yomi worried about him, and time passed quicker than I thought.

By the time I actually let the word _time_ sink in we had been in the Paranormal World for two months. I had been surprised when the day came that my diary was almost filled. I had just bought it when we first had arrived.

Thinking about this, and adding to the Human World months and years, it had meant it was Fall over there, too. I looked outside, and saw the beginnings of beautiful oranges and yellows and reds start to form in the leaves. Did it change seasons over here like it did in the Human World? Lancer laughed at my outrageous thought.

_Of course they change seasons the same way, my lady,_ he replied. Lancer and I had been on 'no talking' terms for the week after Lightning had kissed me. Yomi was still the only other person who knew about Lightning and me. She hadn't told anyone, and had promised to keep it that way. Though I knew sometimes she really wished she could.

For the past two months, Lightning and I had been seeing each other; always in the Gardens and never in the castle. That was too dangerous. He'd take me out of the castle grounds sometimes, to show me places in the Paranormal World and the Sanctuary. It always made me excited when he would take me out of the castle.

Guardian Training was also doing very well. Guardian Haru was teaching me how to use my fire more effectively. He taught me how to have a better control on it, and to use it to my advantage. I was getting stronger, faster than I ever imagined. My body was getting thick with muscles.

I was sitting in my room, observing this one Saturday morning. Yoru and Yomi had gone for a walk around the castle. "What day is today?" Kiyo asked, suddenly.

I looked up at her awaiting face. "Uh, let me check," I said, grabbing my diary from the side table. In my neat handwriting at the top of yesterday's entry was, _September 17__th__, 2010, Friday._

"The eighteenth of September, why?" I replied.

"Hmm…it's almost October," she said after awhile. I nodded. The door opened suddenly, and Ash, a young looking girl, and another boy walked into the room. The girl had black and red hair that framed her face and flowed down over her shoulders. She had the weirdest eyes I had ever seen. They were yellow! The boy's eyes matched the girls. His hair was golden brown, and light, coming to a stop right above his eyes.

"Ashu-Niisama," I said, standing and smiling after I had torn gaze away from the two. He returned my smile, and took Kiyo into his arms. After a cute kiss, we both sat back down.

"Let me introduce you to Clover and Tai. They're siblings, twins, and they are both in my inner circle. Clover is a very skillful witch, and her brother, Tai, is a very skilled wizard," Ash explained.

Clover was wearing a cloak with black with purple embroidered in it. Spells and words were weaved into the cloak. Tai's cloak was dark green and long. On his neck there was a small necklace around his neck. It was black with a little red bead.

Clover smiled at both of us and all I could do was stare into her eyes. "Hello, Kairi, Kiyo," she said holding her hand out. I took it and automatically felt her power. I released her hand, and let Kiyo shake it.

"I was wondering, because Clover and Tai have offered you something, something that will help on your mission to become a good Guardian," Ash said. I raised my eyebrows, looking between Ash, Clover, and Tai. Ash continued. "They came to put a spell on you that will help."

"How?" I asked.

"It will enhance everything. Your magic, your senses, your bonds, your mind, and your strength, pretty much everything," Clover said, ticking each thing off on her fingers.

"Cool!" I said. "What's the catch, though?"

"It costs you, of course. You must be tattooed," Clover said. "They're called Insignias." She lifted her sleeve up to reveal a shiny golden tattoo. It was a small series of intricate swirls. I looked at it in amazement.

"That's pretty damn cool!" I said, looking at it closely. It also had caught Kiyo's attention as well. Automatically, I said, "I'm willing to get one. But do I get to choose what it looks like?"

"Yes. And the color, and where you want it," Tai answered. I thought for a moment. It was almost like a tattoo…

"Will it ever come off?"

"No, it will stay on until you want it off, then we can remove it," Clover said. I nodded slowly.

"I'd go for it, Kairi," Kiyo said, nudging my arm. I smiled and nodded.

"Okay, let's do it," I said.

"Okay, what color do you want, young Guardian?" Tai asked.

"Pink," I said automatically. Clover smiled and asked where I would want my Insignia. I told her my wrist would be easiest to show off.

"Why are you going to be showing it off?" she asked, curiosity filling her voice.

"Because, I want my Insignia to be Ashu-Niisama's crest," I said, smiling.

Soon, Tai and Clover were murmuring unknown words as the both held my wrist. Seconds passed; then minutes. Clover slowly moved her hand over my skin, pressing only slightly. After a little while longer, Tai and Clover pressed right in the middle of the Insignia in unison. I felt a surge of power pulse through me. I gasped, surprised at the feeling.

Clover and Tai offered polite smiles. I looked at my wrist and saw the light pink Insignia. It was very detailed and I automatically liked it a lot. "Thank you," I said, smiling.

"That's awesome, Kairi," Kiyo said, examining my wrist. "How do you feel?"

"Stronger and more alert…" I said, trailing off. She laughed and high-fived me. Clover and Tai bowed to Ash before turning to leave.

"Thank you both," Ash said, as they left. I kept examining my wrist as Ash continued.

"There's another reason I came to you today." I looked up at him for an explanation. "You've been assigned a mission, Guardian Kairi," Ash said, smirking.

My heart skipped a beat. "I have a mission? Really?" I asked jumping up from the couch Kiyo and I were now sitting on.

Ash smiled, and said, "Yes. You, Ren, and Misula are going to be working together. There was a disturbance reported not too far from the Layra Province. Lanori, the fairy princess, said she saw a few Shape-shifters down there. I want you three to investigate."

"Yes, sir!" I said, smirking. He chuckled.

"Ren is usually training in the courtyard now, so go find him. Misula is most likely in the dining hall." I nodded quickly as that sunk in. What kind of reject trained on the weekends? He must not have any friends or something. I made myself get back on track with my mission.

Kiyo smiled reassuringly at me. It didn't hide her uneasiness I felt through our now strengthened connection. _I'll be fine, Kiyo, _I thought to her, before turning to leave out the same door Clover and Tai had just left from.

I went to the dining hall first. Misula and I were really good friends now, much closer than Ren and me. He was…well really quiet. He never talked much, only small talk during training, and that was only when we _had_ to.

Misula was sitting with a young female Vampire. When I approached her, she smiled and said, "Hey, Kairi. This is Grace-Lilly. She's my protectant." She had long golden blonde hair that curled on its own. Her eyes were violet, and her skin was very pale. She wore a black dress to her knees, covered in black roses.

"It's an honor," I said, smiling and nodding at her. This was the first time I had ever met Grace-Lilly because of her Vampiric Nocturnal Schedule.

"You must be Guardian Kairi. I've heard much about you, from everyone actually. You're the queen's Guardian. That must be a lot of pressure." Her voice was delicate with a very heavy English accent.

"Yes, very stressful. But I manage," I replied smiling.

"So, what's up?" Misula asked.

"We've been assigned a mission by Ash, eh, the king. We're supposed to team up with Ren and go to the Layra Province. Princess Lanori said she saw Shape-shifters near there," I said, proudly. Even after spending two months in the castle, it was still really hard to not call him Ash in public.

Misula's green eyes shined brightly. "We have a mission?"

"Yes!" I said excitedly. She jumped up from her chair and hugged me. I hugged her back and we started walking away.

"Be careful, Guardian Misula!" Grace-Lilly called.

"I will, Lilly," Misula called, waving a hand dismissively. We giggled and took off towards the courtyard.

"So what are some of your 'special' abilities?" Misula asked.

"I have a scythe. She's a spirit that takes the form of a black lion. Her name is Kuroyasha," I explained.

"You have a spirit companion, too?" Misula asked, excitedly.

"_You_ have one?" I asked, surprised.

"His name is Ryokua. He's a sword. His handle is engraved with lapis lazuli. He's a black falcon, and when you look at his feathers in the sun, you can see the blue of the lapis lazuli," Misula concluded.

"That's amazing!" I laughed. "I can also control fire."

"Whoa! That's awesome. I've never heard of a Human using elemental power," Misula said, thoughtfully.

"Really? It's common," I commented. By then, we were in the Training Courtyard. Ren was swinging a sword at his friend, and our fellow Guardian-in-training, Raidon. Raidon was neatly dodging each attack.

"Come on, Ren," he taunted. "You're faster than that."

"Ren!" Misula called. He glanced away from his training and spotted us. Raidon looked over and saw us, too. His hair was brown with yellow streaks.

"Hey, Misula!" Raidon called, stretching 'hey' longer than needed in an attempt to sound flirty.

Misula rolled her eyes, and continued, "The King has grouped the three of us in a mission to check the Layra Province for strange activity. It's been reported by Princess Lanori."

Ren looked between us and nodded, putting his sword away. Ren walked to us and Raidon followed him. "A mission to the Layra Province?" Ren asked. His voice was deep and gentle.

"Yea. Princess Lanori requested for help from Ashu-Niisama," I said.

Ren's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Niisama? He's your brother?"

"No, well, yes, well sorta," I stuttered. Shoot, I had slipped up! I suck at remembering to be formal! "Kiyo's pretty much my sister, and Kiyo and Ash are soul-mates so, I call him brother," I finished quickly.

"You call him by his name? Is that legal?" Misula asked. I blushed.

"Well, uh, I…he doesn't seem to mind," I said awkwardly. There was silence for awhile until Raidon broke the silence.

"Well, have fun on your mission." We nodded.

"I'll see you later, Rai," Ren said.

"See you, Ren." Raidon waved and jogged off towards the castle. I turned to face Ren after Raidon had disappeared.

"We were just talking about our powers, and items," I said, beginning to walk. Misula and Ren followed me and we headed for the exit of the castle.

"So, Ren, what kind of weapons do you have?" Misula asked him.

"A sword," he said, simply. He didn't show emotion as he spoke.

"That's cool," I said. Misula and I exchanged looks.

"It's aligned with Darkness," he added after awhile of silence. This surprised me.

"Darkness? That's cool," Misula said. He didn't say anything. "Is it a spirit companion?" she continued.

"Yes," he said. Nothing else. I sighed heavily.

"Ren, we're curious. We'd like to know about you. Plus, we're about to go kill some Shape-shifters. We kinda want to know what our strengths and weaknesses are." I said it kindly, hoping it didn't offend him.

Ren looked up at me and smiled for the first time I'd ever seen him smile. "I know who you are. You're from the Human World. You're friends with Kiyomi Aoyuuki."

I eyed him, surprised. "How…?"

"Don't you remember me? It's Axton ," Ren said. I sat there for several moments of surprise.

"Axton? Why are you…? How are you…?" I stuttered. Ren allowed a small smile to graze his lips before replying.

"I _was_ depressed, Kairi. Especially after Kiyomi and her friends went missing. I was worried, and became more depressed. Then, I met a very strange man. He had dark black hair and green eyes that seemed to read everything about you the moment you entered his gaze. He told me he knew where Kiyomi was. I was desperate. I missed her _too_ much. He told me he could take me to her. I couldn't resist such an offer. I shook his hand. The second our skin came in contact…I can't describe what happened or how I felt. Let's just say, if the King hadn't of found me at the man's castle…I probably wouldn't be here," Ren finished wryly.

"So, you guys knew each other in the Human World?" Misula asked. I nodded slowly.

"His name is Trace," I finally said. "That guy that brought you here, I mean." Ren didn't say anything. Misula pursed her lips. She glanced at me, looking for guidance.

"I changed my name to Ren. I can never go back to the Human World. So, the King, out of kindness, allowed me to reside in his kingdom. I told him I wanted to become a Guardian," he paused. "I wanted to become Kiyomi's Guardian."

All the sympathy for him dried up immediately. Ugly jealousy invaded my mind. "That," I almost growled, "is my job."

Ren gave me an amused look. "Aren't you the Queen's Guardian?" he asked.

"I'm Kiyo's Guardian, I am Yoru's Guardian, _and_ I'm Yomi's Guardian. _I_ am their Guardian," I said, and by his expression, I knew I had gotten my point across.

"We…should probably get going…," Misula said, putting her arm around my shoulders. I realized we had fallen still and weren't moving. Anger coursed through me, and I felt my blood boiling. Was it normal for Guardians to be so…well, protective?

"Of course," I said, walking forward and trying to calm my anger. Misula followed, and truthfully, I didn't care if Ren was following us. After we were almost out of the castle grounds, Ren finally spoke.

"She's a fox." I glanced over at him in confusion.

"What?" I asked my eyebrows knitting together.

"My spirit companion is a female fox. Her name is Laila. She's white with black paws. Her eyes are emerald. Her appearance matches the stones engraved in the sword she takes the form of. Pure white quartz streaked with black; only the smallest hint of green."

I didn't say anything. I truthfully didn't want to. I was mad at him. He was challenging me! Kiyomi was my protectant! Not his…

_What's up?_ Yomi's voice suddenly said in my mind.

_How long have you been there? _I asked.

_Not long, I just came in really_.

_Good, _I said, glaring ahead.

_You're about to see Yoru and I,_ she said.

_What?_ I open the door that led to the Gardens and saw Yomi and Yoru in a tree, standing on limbs.

"Hey Guardian!" they yelled in unison.

"Guys, what are you doing?" I asked a little concerned.

"Standing in a tree," Yoru said as Yomi nodded.

"I had that coming." They both jumped down from the tree and came over to us. "Guys, this is Misula and Ren." Just then, a vengeful thought popped into my head and a smirk spread across my face as I turned to Misula and Ren. "Misula…Ren, this is Eienyoru and Kiyomi," I said happily.

Misula smirked because she'd realized what I was doing. Ren froze and just stared at Yoru and Yomi. "It's nice to meet you both," Misula smiled.

"You too. But you don't have to be formal. Call me Yomi," Yomi said, smiling. Then she looked back at me with a bit of confusion about Ren.

"Well Ren, aren't you going to say anything?" I commented. As soon as I finished, he shot me a glare. Yomi gave me a questioning look and Yoru just stared at him in confusion. They watched him in anticipation. After awhile, Yoru reacted.

"Well then! We'll just go back to our tree climbing," Yoru said, grabbing Yomi's arm and pulling her away. "Gosh!"

When they got back to the tree, Ren said, "Why'd you do that?"

"Because she's my protectant and anyone who tries to take _any_ of my protectants away _will pay!"_

Ren shot me a glare. I smirked and held my hand up for Misula to high-five it. She did and we walked ahead with Ren storming behind us. Misula whispered, "He's totally jealous of where you stand. You're close to the King and the Queen _and_ you're close to Kiyomi."

"I can _hear _you, Misula," he snapped. I laughed.

"Well, I'm glad you can. Yomi is _my_ protectant," I said, smirking. Ren grinded his teeth as we walked. We came upon the drawbridge where several guards were stationed with a series of weapons; the drawbridge was up. One Guardian stood out to me; Guardian Haru.

"Guardian Haru!" I shouted. He turned at the sound of my voice.

A smile lit his face up at the sight of me. "Ah, young Kairi. What mischief are you getting into now?" he asked suspiciously.

"None, actually. Lord Ash has assigned Ren, Misula, and I a mission to check the Layra Province," I explained.

"Yes, of course. I remember his Excellency saying something about Princess Lanori being in distress," Guardian Haru said. He continued to stare at the sky for several more thoughtful moments.

"So, may we pass, Guardian Haru?" Misula asked, giving a slight bow.

"Yes, but do remember, Kairi. It's not a game out there. It's dangerous. The creatures out there won't hold back, like we do here to train you. You must never let your guard down. The three of you need to watch each other's back. Protect one-another." Guardian Haru's words touched me, and I felt the same protective nature, that I often felt for my friends flare up. I had to get these two back home. Safely. A disorienting wave of déjà vu almost knocked me dizzy; these words had been said to me before.

"Yes, of course, Guardian Haru," I said, bowing slightly. His face lightened to a happier, calmer looking state.

"Now, go on. Complete your mission and get back. Don't waste your day off," he chuckled. The drawbridge opened and allowed us access to the outside world. Ren and Misula's face lit up. I realized they hadn't left since Guardian Training began, maybe even longer.

The last time I had been off castle grounds (_with_ people knowing I had gone…) was when we rescued Negative. Of course I had gone with Lightning…but no one knew about that except for Yomi. By now, she probably knew. Would she tell, was the question.

We walked out into the town that surrounded the castle. Shops and huts lined the paved streets, just like I remembered. Ash's crested flag hung every so often as we walked. I glanced at my wrist, and smiled when I saw it matched perfectly. The Insignia shined when the sunlight hit it right.

As we passed the Saloon, Lancer shouted in my head, _Young Master, yes! Let us celebrate your first mission by dropping by the saloon._ I could mentally see Kuroyasha's tale slapping him in the face. _Baka!_ she called in my head; stupid in Japanese.

I rolled my eyes. Ren stayed quiet throughout our entire stroll through the town. Misula and I found this quite amusing. We finally reached the edge of the town where we were greeted by the grass and forest.

"Ready?" I asked.

"As I'll ever be!" Misula chimed. Ren grunted. I stuck my tongue out at him. Kuroyasha erupted from me and landed on the ground beside me.

Suddenly a raven-like bird flew from Misula, landing on her shoulder. He cawed softly as Misula nuzzled him. "Ryokua, this is Kairi. You remember her, right?" Misula said. He cawed once. She chuckled and said, "He says he likes you."

I laughed. "Kuroyasha, this is Misula and Ryokua," I introduced. _I think Misula a good friend for you, _Kuroyasha replied. I smiled and told Misula.

"We're on a mission, not a trip to a family reunion," Ren snapped. I glanced over at him. He was on the on the back of a beautiful fox. Her coat matched the white of snow. Her eyes were greener than even Trace's eyes. Laila's feet looked as if she had just run through black tar.

"Staring in amazement?" Ren sneered. I glowered at him. Kuroyasha flanked me. I turned and jumped onto her back.

"No. But I'm sure you're amazed by my Kuroyasha, dick," I snapped. I offered a hand to Misula and helped her onto Kuroyasha when she took hold of it. Ren was speechless.

"Fly, boy," Misula commanded. "Lead us to the Layra Province." Ryokua took flight. Kuroyasha jerked forward, causing Misula to grab onto me tightly.

Laila responded to the challenge and dashed forward as well. This caused my competitive side to show. Kuroyasha's speed increased, racing right under Ryokua.

_Go, young master! Kick that smart mouth's ass!_ Lancer yelled in my head.

_Lancer, language!_ Kuroyasha and I thought in unison.

Laila never caught up with us, so we slowed a little, waiting for Ren to hurry up. After a few minutes, he was running beside us. I took this as the perfect opportunity.

"So, Ren, I see whose spirit companion is faster. I _do_ have a better chance of becoming Yomi's Guardian," I shouted. Ren pressed forward a little. I laughed. This continued until Kuroyasha slowed, allowing Ryokua to land on Misula's shoulder.

_We're here, Kairi, _Kuroyasha said, grimly. I glanced around before I hopped off of her. Misula mimicked me. We were standing in front of a huge forested area. Trees towered over us as far as the eye could see. The leaves were still deep green and mossy colored.

"Ima Koi, Kuroyasha," I murmured. She disappeared then reappeared in scythe form. I clutched her in my hands. Ryokua dissolved into Misula's sword. She twirled it with her wrist, and looked at me for guidance.

"Let's go," Ren said. All snarky and competitive tones had disappeared from his voice. I looked at the silver blade in his hand.

"I'll lead," I whispered, stepping forward. I didn't know what I was getting myself into.


	14. Showdown Devastation

_**~Chapter Thirteen: Showdown Devastation~**_

We were trudging through the forest. A large canopy above kept it dark, giving everything a green tint and eerie feeling in the heavy silence. We crept farther into the dead silent forest. Nothing could be heard except for the moss and grass beneath our soles.

Ahead, there was a small clearing. I paused, seeing movement in the clearing. My heart skipped a beat.

_Kairi, be careful…,_ Kuroyasha warned in my head. I let my senses feel my surroundings. The smell of damp earth filled my nostrils. The sound of hushed movement reached my ears that picked up the sound easily. Shadows moved in the open area ahead.

And, finally, an awful feeling hit the pit of my stomach; something wasn't right. I felt presences in the clearing. Ren nudged me forward and I glared at him as if to say _shut up and give me a minute to get ready!_ We moved in closer. Voices emanated from the clearing, low and secretive.

"Master wants us…Guardians…we kill…proud, especially if…wretched queen…" was all I could make out from the quiet murmuring. I clenched my teeth.

"Hanashi, we have guests," a male voice said. There was silence as my heart rate increased and blood ran ice cold. Were we discovered? That easily?

"Above you," Ren said. Before I could register what he meant, I went flying into the clearing and skidded across the ground.

_Kairi!_ Lancer shouted in my head. I gasped in shock and looked to Ren. He was on the ground, holding Laila up to defend himself.

Above was a man with a sword; blade to blade, sparks flew like fireflies in the night. "Ren, you idiot!" I shouted, jumping up. Misula swung Ryokua at the man. The man jumped back, dodging Misula easily.

Ren jumped to his feet. He glared at the man stepping forward. Something caught my eye behind Ren; an approaching silhouette. It slowly crept forward, and crouched.

"Ren, behind you!" I yelled. Ren looked at me in confusion before he could register my words. He gasped, and turned around just as the shadow took form of a wolf and landed on top of him.

Grunts sounded from them as the man stepped towards Misula and me. "What are such cute little children doing so far away from your parents?" the man asked.

"You have no right to be in the Layra Province. By the orders of King Ash, you must leave!" I said, holding out my wrist that bore Ash's crest.

"Aww, you work for Ash, don't you?" the man asked. "Isn't that cute, Hanashi?" There was a growl in response before it turned into harsh laughter.

"Itty-bitty babies, all alone and lost in the Layra Province," the girl named Hanashi said. I glanced at her figure behind the man. She long dark brown hair that was wild, and matted from the fight. Blood covered her. Ren. Damn it!

"What are you doing here?" I demanded in an even voice.

"Go on, Shini. Tell them. They won't be living much longer anyways."

Shini didn't say anything for awhile as he looked me up and down. "You seem very familiar child," Shini said, beginning to circle us. Hanashi circled as well, making it hard to get to Ren's still figure.

"Ren…" Misula whispered. He was in the ground, not moving and bleeding with gashes covering him. He was still breathing, thank heavens.

"Oh, I know how I know you," Shini chuckled. "You're wanted dead or alive by Master. You're Kairi Lin Fatewin, the almighty Guardian, whose head is priced at half a million gold."

I was shocked as he said this. I had a bounty on my head? That was _worth_ a half a million gold? Fear consumed me, making me feel nauseas as that fact sunk in. I wouldn't last very long with that being how much I was worth.

"Surprised? So am I. When I heard about you, I expected…" he paused to think of a response. "More than just this," he finally said, motioning to me.

"She's stronger than you give her credit for," Misula defended me.

"She is a bit pathetic," Hanashi said, looking me up and down as well. Before I could stop myself, I punched her right in the face.

Hanashi flew backwards. "Lancer!" I shouted, summoning him to my side. He summoned his lance, and swung it full force at Shini. Surprised, Shini stumbled back. Misula jumped for Hanashi, who was on her feet again, looking shocked and angry. Damn she recovered too fast!

Lancer and I jumped for Shini, who pulled out his sword from before. He blocked both attacks, and swung for my neck. I quickly back-flipped out of the way; a maneuver guided by both Lancer and Kuroyasha.

"Oh, so close, Shini," a new voice entered the mix. I looked to the voice to see Leo standing in the shadows of the trees. In his hand, was a sword I would recognize a mile away; the Sword of the Sanctuary.

"Master Leo," Hanashi and Shini grunted.

"Ah, so Miss Kairi is here," Leo said, chuckling "Here's what I want; bring me Kairi. Dead, alive, you ask? I don't care. I'll be at Lord Trace's castle. Bring her with you," Leo finished.

"And the others My Lord?" Hanashi hissed. Leo paused to let an evil grin spread across his face.

"Kill them. I don't care." He tossed the Sword of the Sanctuary to Shini. "Get it done." He slowly vanished into the shadows of the forest.

"Get Ren back to the castle, Lancer. Do not stop until he is in the infirmary, being treated. And even then, don't come. Do you understand me, Lancer?" I said. Lancer faltered as Hanashi and Shini came closer to us. Hanashi had drawn a bow.

"But master!"

"Go!" I commanded. He vanished; reappearing beside Ren's wounded body. He picked Ren up, and vanished again. Misula and I both jumped forward towards Hanashi and Shini.

I took on Shini who was obviously the strongest in the pair. He swung the Sword of the Sanctuary right towards me. Kuroyasha's handle stopped it right before it hit me. I could feel the power radiating from it. I kicked him, propelling myself backwards, giving me room and time to think of a way to take him down.

Shini charged forward. I blocked as fast as I could…sadly, it wasn't fast enough. The Sword of the Sanctuary cut my left should. It wasn't very deep, because I _had_ blocked, I just wasn't fast enough to block the whole shot. I didn't let this cut effect me.

I swung Kuroyasha as hard as I could. It sent the Sword of the Sanctuary flying out of Shini's hand. It landed in the ground before slowly fading away. Shini shot me a glare, and said, "I admit; you're stronger than I give you credit for. We'll have to fix that."

Suddenly, he exploded! There is no other way of describing his action. I gasped, and jumped back. When I finally made myself open my eyes, a large wolf-like creature stood in front of me. I slowly backed up, only to find it follow me.

I felt the rush of adrenaline pounding through my body as the creature before me advanced. Seconds ago, it had been Shini. And now…I shuddered. The thing lunged at me, and I brought Kuroyasha up to stop it.

The instant the furry beast made contact with my scythe, it transformed again. A snake-like creature, that had just been a furry monster, slithered around the handle of my scythe. I gasped, and swung blindly, trying to lose the snake. A sudden sharp pain pierced my wrist, and I looked down to see the snake's jaws enclosed on my flesh. I didn't know Kuroyasha had fallen to the ground until I felt her hit it with a thud.

"Kairi!" Misula shouted.

I tried to shake the snake off, but realized it wasn't coming off. I felt a fiery sensation running from my wrist up my arm. I gripped the snake with my other hand and jerked it from my skin. The fiery sensation had traveled and was at my shoulder now.

"Ima Koi!" I called, despite my arm's condition. Kuroyasha was in my hand in seconds. A sudden shriek filled the air. I whipped around to face the sound, expecting it to be the female shape-shifter Misula was fighting…but what I saw ripped my heart apart.

Misula was against a tree, an arrow shot through her shoulder, pinning her there. Ryokua lay at her feet. "Misula!" I yelled, wincing from the pain now twisting its way across my chest. My eyes blurred and I felt myself falling to the ground. "Shini, what did you do to the important one?" Hanashi asked. I could only stare at Misula. Blood was seeping through her clothes. She was taking small short breaths.

"I bit her. As a snake, Hanashi," Shini laughed.

"That old fool, Ash, wasn't expecting _us_ to be here," Hanashi laughed.

"Yes. You've served your purpose. Now leave," a whole new voice said. I gasped when I realized I knew this voice.

"Lightning." Hanashi snarled the name. "We can finish them off. Master Leo told _us_ to bring the Guardian to him."

I made myself look at Lightning, even though I couldn't see properly. I also found that my limbs weren't moving right.

"Leave. _Now,_" Lightning said, and the warning was clear in his voice. Snarling, the Shape-shifters left without further argument. I felt his hands on my arm, almost immediately.

My body was pulsing painfully. Heat and fiery sensations flurried almost at my waist. I couldn't stop jerking, but Lightning's grip held my arm still. I looked to Misula. Ryokua was now cawing sadly in his raven form. Misula was barely murmuring to her bird, languor written all over her features.

"Snake venom…" Lightning murmured. "What burns?"

"My chest…my arms…stomach…" I whimpered. "I need to get to Misula…" My eyes landed back on Lightning in desperation.

"Misula's gone, Kairi. There's nothing either of us can do." He pulled my wrist up.

"Ryokua…" I whispered, hearing the soft cry of Misula's raven. I glanced over again, despite the blurriness intruding my vision, to see Ryokua gripping the arrow with his talons.

A sharp pain pierced my wrist again, and a cry of pain escaped my mouth, before Lightning's hand covered my mouth. I realized he was biting me and panicked. I struggled against his grip, but nothing could stop him; he was an elite Vampire.

I didn't know I was crying until Lightning pulled back, trying to force his fangs to retract. "It's gone now, Kairi, it's gone," Lightning hushed, stroking my cheek soothingly, while gasping for air that didn't contain the scent of my blood.

Darkness pulled me into it. The last thing I heard was Ryokua's sad cawing, and Misula's voice. _He's yours now…Guardian Kairi…_,and then, nothing…

Lightning's Point of View

Kairi's eyes slipped closed and her body went limp under my arms. The tears on her cheeks were causing strands of her pink hair to stick to her face. Her heart beat softly, too soft for a Human's.

I knew if I took her to Elliot's Palace…bad things would happen to her. Very bad things…

I looked at the dead girl's body. Her spirit companion sat on her shoulder. Its beak was rested on the girl's cheek. The sun shifted, falling upon the bird and his master. The black feathers lit up and shined with a blue brilliance.

The bird gave one last cry of sorrow before letting a single tear slip down its silk feathered face. It raised its wings and flew up and over to Kairi. Then, it disappeared into her. I looked back at the girl named Misula to see her face smiling such a weak smile; any Human would have skipped right over it. My heart wrenched, wishing there was some way I could've prevented the youth's death.

I lifted Kairi off of the ground and ran with her. I knew where I had to go, but feared to go. If I were to be captured, I would never be released to take care of my family. But I forced myself to keep running before I could change my mind. We soon were at the Ash's Castle. This would not blow over very well.

I stepped towards the draw bridge to await the many soldiers that would swarm me to get the Queen's Guardian. The gate opened, but only five figures stood there. With my heightened Vampire senses, I could easily see Ash, the Queen, Eienyoru, Kairi's other friend with pigtails, and Night Rider.

I stepped forward, and the Queen immediately ran forward. She summoned her beast, and Ash followed her quickly followed by Eienyoru, then Night Rider. The other one with pigtails followed them a bit slower.

The Queen froze at the sight of Kairi unconscious in my arms. Her eyes darted to me accusingly. "What did you do to my Guardian?" she yelled. Ash's face froze for a second, only an expression of sheer terror visible.

Kairi's heart was skipping two beats now. I automatically, but very unwillingly, extended my arms. Night Rider took her from me, glaring.

The Queen pointed her now summoned scythe at me. I didn't react. "Answer me!" she shouted.

"I found her the Layra Province, being attacked by elite Shape-shifters. One had bitten her as a Shini Viper. She was dying. Simply, I saved her," I explained, never letting my emotions betray my face.

"Why?" Ash demanded. "Night Rider, take Kairi inside. Follow him, Crescentworth. You both as well."

Eienyoru glared before her and the pigtailed girl turned to follow Night Rider. The Queen stayed where she was.

"I'm not leaving," she said, holding her scythe up to me.

"Love, just go inside. I'll tell you everything when I get there," Ash said, softly. She stood for a second before glaring at me harshly and turning to leave. Ash looked at me with harsh eyes as they retreated.

I kept myself emotionless; I was on _their _territory. "Where's Guardian Misula?" Ash asked through clenched teeth.

"Dead. Hanashi killed her," I replied. The image of her and her spirit guide before he left her twisted through my mind. Ash's face tightened and I could see the sorrow hidden in his eyes.

"I'll release you for now. Only because you saved my sister. Now…be gone."

Kairi's Point of View

_ A field…a big field…warm grass…a soft breeze lifting my hair, bringing me the scent of earth…_

_ I see Lightning…and Fangira…He's sitting on Fangira's back…_

_ Tears are streaking his face, and I wonder what could upset him so badly._

_ "Lightning? Why are you crying?" I whisper. My voice is weak, hoarse._

_ He glances down at me, a bit surprised. "You…what are you doing?"_

_ "Where are we?" I ask weakly, yet my feet felt strong where I stand._

_ "My head. We're in my head. How…? How are you here?"_

_ "I…I don't know." I say, shrugging._

_ "I just took you to Ash…you are unconscious," Lightning says, jumping down from Fangira._

_ "I'm unconscious?" I ask. He walks forward, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder._

_ "Yes. You must be so to death, you can travel at will to whomever's mind you'd like…" Lightning's voice escapes almost inaudible and his face becomes pained. He pulls me against his chest, wrapping his arms around me in a tight hug._

_ "You have to wake up, Kairi. Come on, now, wake up," Lightning urges me gently. I look into his blue eyes that were now fighting back tears. I nod. "Okay…" my voice whispers._

"Kairi, _please_, wake up!" a voice I couldn't place called to me. Suddenly, a big gush of wind swept through my lungs, and my eyes fluttered open. Dark blue eyes stared back at me; then moved back.

My breath hitched in air, happy to have oxygen flowing through my lungs. I gasped in gulps of it and realized Ash's eyes were the ones staring back at me.

I looked around, unable to respond to or register anything around me. Kiyo and Yomi were standing to my left, holding each other as tears ran down their faces. Yoru was near them, a face that was hopeless now seemed relieved.

Ash was at my right. He looked relieved and so stressed that _I_ was worried about him. Night Rider and Fear stood beside Ash. Even Fear and Night Rider seemed to be relieved. I attempted to try to talk, but my words did not come out right. I was shaking so bad the room seemed to be a bit blurred.

"Calm down, Kairi. Relax. You're in shock," Ash soothed. His voice was filled with anxiety he was trying to hide. I tried to listen to him, to even my short breaths and calm my vigorous shaking.

When my breath came easier, I attempted talking again. "I-I-I…Ash…and L-Lightning…Misula…" My voice was jumpy and weak. Ash put a hand on my shoulder.

"Shh…I know. Don't talk, you need to relax," Ash said, slowly. I nodded as best as I could. A few minutes passed and no one talked at all. I was still shaking maybe even worse than before.

"Ash, what's wrong with her?" Night Rider whispered.

"I don't know…she's trying to recover from the snake venom, and then the partial Vampire venom that entered her blood stream when Lightning bit her. Not to mention the blood loss."

That's when I remembered everything. I had had a distinct idea of what had happened, but now _all_ the gruesome details crashed back into my mind. I closed my eyes tightly, trying to block out the images.

"Kairi? Kairi, what's wrong?" Ash asked a hint of panic creeping into his voice. He squeezed my shoulder gently, as if to urge me to tell him.

"Mi…Misula…she…" I was in tears now. Ash hushed me.

"She's upset and confused. She doesn't know where she is. She's scared," Kiyo whispered.

"Is there anything that you can do?" Night Rider's voice asked.

"No. All we can do is wait for her to come out of shock," Ash whispered.

My eyes flickered open. "I-I'm r-r-right here…D-Don't talk about m-me like…I'm n-not…" I'd meant to make myself sound insulted, but, really, it sounded like a weak little girl.

Ash squeezed my shoulder again, trying to soothe my disorientation. "I'm sorry. We won't do it anymore."

"I'm not a-a child…" I said as fiercely as possible. I wasn't stuttering as bad, and my breathing was leveling out. I could practically see the relief flowing through Kiyo.

"She's okay…she's okay…" Kiyo breathed, relaxing into Yomi's embrace.

"How is she? What's wrong?" Yoru asked.

"I'm right h-here!" I reminded them.

Yoru turned to me. "Sorry. What's wrong, Kairi?"

"Just…shaky…and so disoriented. Where exactly am I?" I replied.

"The infirmary. As soon as I saw Lightning with you, limp in his arms, I thought the worst," Ash said, solemnly.

"Wait, L-Lightning brought me here?" I asked. "As in _all _the way here? To your castle?" I was in disbelief. Had he really come all this way? To take me to a safe place?

"Yes. He came all the way to the castle. Almost got his head cut off by my Kiyo," Ash added the last part in an attempt to lighten the mood a bit. I hid a blush. I smiled and looked at Kiyo. Her face was puffy and wet from tears. She sniffled.

"What? No one messes with my Shugo Kairi," she smiled weakly. The room laughed a gentle laugh, and finally, I felt alright. I was still shaken up, and still trembling, but I would be fine.

"We'll be able to take that out in a few hours or so," Ash added. Huh?

"Take what out?" I wondered, looking down to where he was pointing. My heart skipped a beat when I saw a thin needle sticking into my arm. Connected to the needle was a little red tube, leading to a red pouch.

I quickly looked away. "You…oh my gosh…" I whispered in disbelief. I had a huge phobia of needles. "Did he drink _that_ much blood?" I finally whispered. I looked to Ash for guidance. He nodded slowly. I looked down.

"It's okay," Kiyo said. I looked up to see her smiling at me. I forced a smile to lighten my own mood and distract myself from the needle in my arm.

"How long am I stuck in here?" I complained.

"Three days, unless you're still shaking then," Ash said.

"Then it's back to training, right?" My voice sounded hopeful, which surprised all of them.

"No! You're off duty for at least seven days after you leave the infirmary," Ash informed.

What? A _week?_ That was way too long! I had to get back to training. Hanashi would pay for what she did to Misula. And I wanted to be the one to take the money!

"Oh, and Kairi, another thing; I was in your head and I noticed another…addition…in there," Ash said.

"What? An addition? What are you talking?" I said confused.

"When Misula died…," I cringed at his words, "Did she say anything to you before…well, before?"

I paused and forced myself to relive the horror of Misula's death.

_He's yours now…Guardian Kairi…_

The voice erupted in my head like the fire I could wield.

_Guardian Misula left only one request: That I be passed on to you. So, Master, shall I stay?_ It could only be Ryokua's voice.

Surprised by the random outburst, my wall holding everyone inside me broke, and Kuroyasha, Lancer, and Ryokua burst from me. Everyone in the room drew weapons in preparation to fight. Then, they realized what had happened. Their weapons were returned and they gave me a questioning look.

"They popped out. I'm sorry," I said quickly, blushing in embarrassment. Kuroyasha laid down on her stomach in a protective watchful way. Lancer bowed deeply and sat next to my Kuroyasha. Ryokua sat on end of my bed, holding everyone's attention.

"Ryokua," I said simply. "Misula's spirit weapon; a sword with Lapis Lazuli encrusted in the handle." Ryokua cawed softly and I held my free arm up. Immediately, he flew to my arm.

I couldn't hold his weight very long and he sensed that. He flew to Kuroyasha and perched on her head. She didn't seem to mind. I looked at the trio, my eyes falling upon Lancer. Then I remembered I was forgetting something.

"Where's Ren?" I asked.

"Ah, Guardian Ren is just fine. Lancer brought him here. Lancer told us he wasn't supposed to go back. He was acting so strange. I began to worry about him. He kept repeating things like, 'She's in danger, and I can't go back.' We tried to make him tell us who, but we couldn't calm him down enough," Ash said.

He pointed to the other side of the room where another bed lay. On top, Ren was laying. He was all bandaged up, and unconscious. His chest slowly rose and sank. He was okay. Good. I didn't want to be responsible for _two_ deaths…

I looked back at Lancer who seemed to be staring off into his own little world. What were his motives? Would I ever know? I looked back at my friends and saw Yomi approaching.

My body continued to shake. Yomi patted my forehead gently in a signal of her feeling sorry. "Peanuts, Kairi. Peanuts," she said, as if all our solutions lie in that one word. Her random words that were supposed to break the silence sent me into hurdles of laughter. I burst into hysterical laughter that shook my body vigorously. Everyone else laughed, too.

"Thanks, Yomi," I sighed, smiling at her.

"No, problem, Ri," she laughed. The name made me falter, and everyone seemed to notice. _Ri, of all the nick names for her to call me, she calls me Ri?_

"Are you okay?" Kiyo asked immediately. I gave her a reassuring smile.

"Just…just some pain in my wrist," I shrugged a bit and smiled again. Kiyo looked down at my wrist that I still hadn't seen. I looked down and saw a white bandage, neatly wrapped around it. Unfortunately, a scarlet red had seeped through the pristine white.

"Is it…really bad?" I whispered. She only nodded.

"It was a Shini Viper. One drop of their venom can kill in an hour. You must have had much more than a drop, considering how much blood Lightning took from you," Ash said.

"Or he was being a selfish bastard and wanted more blood," Kiyo said, coldly. The hate in her voice made the room fall quiet. I didn't say anything and felt guilt twisting my stomach in knots. I still didn't know if I could tell Kiyo about my feelings for Lightning. His were obvious.

Simply…he loved me. I felt a soft blush brush across my face. "Hey, I'm fine, Kiyo," I tried to sound as strong as I could. This was really upsetting her.

Kiyo exhaled heavily and plopped down onto the bed next to me. Yomi and Yoru exchanged glances before sitting with her.

"Okay, Miss Kairi needs her rest now," a girl called, walking into the room.

"Lia, I'm sure these three won't be keeping Kairi up," Ash said. There was double meaning to the words, and Lia looked over at me, looking not so sure.

"My Lord…" she lowered her voice, and I couldn't hear the rest of the conversation. I watched Ash's expression change to surprise, and then worry. He glanced back at me, then back to Lia. He nodded and walked over to us again.

"A few more minutes, Kiyo; then you have to leave," Ash said, slowly. Kiyo and I both turned to give him a look of outrage.

"No way am I staying here alone!" I said in disbelief.

"Kairi, you need your rest," Ash said as a final say in the decision.

"But Ash..." Kiyo complained. He held his hand up.

"No, it's for Kairi's health that she rests now. You can visit her when she wakes up." Ash didn't want to hurt Kiyo, but seemed to _have_ to get them out of here. This confused me. Why would it be _so_ important for me to rest? For me to be alone?

Kiyo glared at the floor and got up from the bed she had plopped down on. Yomi opened her mouth to complain, but thought better of it.

The minutes passed in silence, then Ash ushered my protectants out.

"We'll see you soon, Kairi," Yomi called.

"Yea, just get your rest," Yoru said. Kiyo stayed silent as they left. When the doors closed, Ash walked back to my bed where Night Rider had an arm around Fear.

"Is she going to be okay, Master?" Fear whispered.

"Lia says…be some...but…for sure…" Ash was speaking so softly I could only hear parts of the conversation. Night Rider's eyebrows knitted together in confusion, then worry as the conversation ended. He glanced at me for a second, then back to Ash.

"How…find…?" he whispered. Then realization showed on his face. "No." Ash nodded grimly. He motioned to the door, and Fear nodded. Night Rider led Fear out of the room.

Ash sighed before turning to face me. I gave him a questioning look. "There's a chance that you still have some snake venom in your blood stream," Ash said after a pause. Fear spiked into my stomach.

"No…Lightning got it all…" I protested.

"I'm sure he did get it all…but there could still be some, Kairi," he said this in a voice that said he didn't like this news.

"What are you going to do?" I whispered. Truthfully, I wanted to close my eyes and go to sleep; to get lost in my dreams that would take me somewhere that pain didn't exist.

"Just go to bed. You'll be fine by morning," Ash said. I nodded, curiosity lacing my mind, joined by fear. I relaxed myself, and closed my eyes. Almost immediately I was sucked into a deep sleep.

9


	15. Sweet Desires

_**~Chapter Fourteen: Sweet Desire~**_

What seemed like ten minutes later, I jolted up right in my bed. Darkness cloaked the room that had been light only a few moments ago. I fell back against, my pillow, still shaking from before.

_Kairi, are you okay?_ Kuroyasha's demanded. There was a hint of a protective growl to her voice.

"No, no, I'm fine," I said, letting my body relax more. What had awakened me? I sighed heavily and closed my eyes. Until I heard something at the foot of my bed. My eyes snapped open, and met a deep dark blue pair.

I gasped and sat up again. Then the eyes were gone and a hand was over my mouth. I panicked. I jerked and pushed on the hand, trying to get away from whoever it was.

"Shh…Kairi…it's me. You're going to get me in trouble," Lightning's voice whispered. I blinked, and quit struggling. He moved his hand. I looked up into his eyes. My vision adjusted; I could dimly make out his facial features.

"Lightning," I said, weakly. He smiled sadly. I followed his gaze to my arm where two needles were now stuck. This unnerved me. I stole a glance at my other arm. Only one was in my left arm. All in all, I had three needles in my arms. I had just had one _that_ was going to be taken out. Why did I need three now?

Lightning put his hand on my cheek. "I'm so sorry, Kairi…"

I gave him a reassuring smile. "You did your best Lightning," I said, refusing to keep looking at the needles.

"My best wasn't good enough to keep you safe," he whispered. I shook my head, but he continued. "I should have kept drinking. There was still venom in your blood stream…Instead, Ash bit you. He bit my Kairi." Lightning seemed upset by this, but truthfully, I was shocked.

Ash had bitten me? To get the snake venom out of me? _Ash?_ The room seemed to spin. Yomi suddenly opened the door. I gasped and Lightning turned to disappear, but I grabbed his hand. He froze, refusing to be rough with me.

Suddenly, Lightning entered my head. _I can't be caught,_ he thought, squeezing my hand gently.

"No…it's just Yomi. She knows and understands us Lightning," I whispered. She glanced at him, gave a slight glare, and looked at me.

"Kairi, he shouldn't be in the open like this…" she said, sighing. Then she looked at him with a distrusting look. "Sooner or later someone will sense his presence." She looked back at me.

"I know," I sighed. "You can't say anything about this."

"So you want me to lie to the King and Queen of the Paranormal World?" she said in disbelief. "Do you know how hard this if for me, Kairi?"

"I'm sorry, Yomi. Just…if they ask you about it say you know nothing of what's going on…it's technically not a lie." She sighed and looked back to him.

Finally she said, "You have four minutes, then he has to go." We nodded in agreement.

Lightning looked at Yomi and said, "Thank you." She nodded and said nothing else until she got to the door.

"I'll guard it in case someone comes." She walked out before I could thank her again.

"I should probably go," he said even though I could tell that he didn't want to.

"You have four minutes left," I said, expressing that I wanted him to stay. Just then, Yomi knocked on the door and I heard the sound of someone else's voice talking to her.

"Yomi, is Kairi awake?" I could tell it was Rath.

"Uh, hold on. I'll check," she said, knocking on the door again. Lightning kissed my hand, touched my cheek softly, and then disappeared.

Yomi opened the door while Rath asked if anyone else was in the room. He looked around suspiciously while Yomi and I shot glances at one another. He finally stopped focusing on the room and turned his attention towards me.

"Ash told me to come and see if you needed anything," Rath said. I thought for a second and realized how thirsty I was.

"Can I have some water?" I asked, hoarsely. Rath nodded once, and left. I glanced at Yomi. She sighed and turned to me.

"What am I going to do with you?" I shrugged weakly, missing Lightning's presence. Yomi shook her head, and pulled a chair up beside my bed. _Someone's going to find out,_ she thought.

_No!_ I thought fiercely. _He'd be sentenced to death by both worlds!_ Tears threatened to fall down my cheeks. I held them back as best as I could.

_Then you have to be more careful about him,_ Yomi thought quietly.

_What should I do then?_ I mentally whispered.

After a long silence, she finally thought, _I don't know, Kairi…_

I heard the door open, but couldn't force myself to look at who it was. A single tear streaked my cheek. "Kairi?" Rath's voice asked. When he got no response he looked at Yomi.

_Kairi, act like you're in pain!_ she hissed in my head. "She's just in some pain, Rath," Yomi said.

"Should I get Lord Ash?" he asked, sounding concerned. Yomi turned to me questioningly.

I shook my head. "No, I'm fine." One of the most used lies I have ever used.

Lightning's Point of View

The night air stayed quiet even as I dashed at full speed from Ash's castle. The pain in Kairi's eyes still haunted me. Her delicate, usually rosy cheeks were so pale. And her beautiful deep blue eyes were so dull and pained…

If I had just gone to check the Layra Province sooner, I would have found Shini and Hanashi before they had hurt Kairi and her friend. Then, Ash had the audacity to bite her! Anger shot through me, causing my eyes change from the color of the deepest ocean to a bloody crimson. My fangs showed themselves.

I was the _only_ one allowed to ever bite Kairi! I growled quietly to myself.

"Lightning," a voice called. I stopped in the middle of my running and turned to the voice.

"Thunder," I snarled his name. "What do you want?" I was staring into the face of my younger twin brother. His green eyes flashed in suspicion.

"I could ask you the same thing, brother," Thunder said. "Why are you in this world?"

"I was leaving, actually. I'm in a terrible mood, don't tempt your fate," I threatened.

"I don't fear you, brother," Thunder said, coldly. With as much speed as I had in me, I appeared in front of his face, inches away. To a Human, it would have been less than a blink of an eye. Thunder blinked in surprise. My hand found his throat, with no hesitation. It constricted his neck tightly.

"Do not underestimate me, Thunder. I hesitated before; I will _not_ do it again. You caused our father's death, and now our mother and sister's lives are on the line. I will kill you in a second. Do not piss me off," I said my threat, never raising my voice higher than a low velvet promise.

Thunder's body had gone limp with lack of oxygen, and I hadn't realized he was lifted off the ground by my hand. I released him, and he tumbled to the ground, landing on his hands and knees. He coughed and choked on the air, desperate for oxygen.

I stepped back, and turned to leave. "Wait…!" Thunder gasped.

"What do you want?" I growled. He slowly got to his feet and took another desperate gasp of air.

"I need to know Lightning," he whispered, still trying to catch his breath.

"What do you need to know, Thunder," I spat. He looked me in the eyes and I felt the full force of my connection with my brother.

"Are they okay? Do they…miss me?" Thunder whispered. This angered me.

"Why do you even care? You gave up on them!" I roared.

"I did what I had to so I could survive," Thunder said, quietly. His head fell, eyes on the ground.

"And it got father killed!" I growled, angrily. Thunder's head snapped up, his eyes turning the violent shade of red that marked us for who were.

"How can you blame this on me? It's not my fault that Elliot killed our father! I left to survive! Elliot is going to end up killing you in the end! He doesn't _care _Lightning!" Thunder shouted.

"I will _not _allow them to kill our family!" I yelled at him.

"Tell Haruka I'm sorry," Thunder finally said.

"She doesn't need your sympathy, Thunder. She knows you abandoned her. She wants nothing to _do_ with you!" I snarled. This wasn't necessarily true, but I could never control myself when I got like this.

"That may be so," he whispered, his eyes returning to semi-green again. "But I want her to know."

"I'll tell her, but I doubt she cares," I said, harshly. Thunder nodded, his eyes turning hard.

"Good-bye, Brother," Thunder said. I bared my fangs at him, before a slight idea came to mind.

"One more thing…," I began. "Protect Kiyo's Guardian." Like I knew it would, surprise crossed his face.

"Why? Is she in danger?" Thunder asked. I knew it was his job as a member of Ash's inner circle to keep the Queen and her Guardian safe.

"Isn't she always?" I snapped. I reached into my pocket, and pulled out the folded piece of parchment that I had seen so many times before. Without hesitation, I tossed it towards him. He caught the parchment, and unfolded it quickly, revealing Kairi's wanted poster.

Thunder gasped, but by the time he could say anything I had turned to leave. I took off running, and didn't respond to him calling my name. I ran as fast as I could, leaving that wretched world behind as I did.

I landed on the ground of my room, too upset to make myself move properly. I collapsed on my bed, finally letting myself off guard. My fangs finally retracted, meaning my eyes were normal as well.

Kairi's eyes never left my mind. The memory of her in my mind, finding me crying in the field, made me realize I was truly in love with her. And love for a Vampire is undying, just as our immortal souls were.

A sudden sound from the corner of my room caught my attention. I was on my feet instantly, holding back the urge to bare my fangs. "Hello, Lightning," Midnight's sing-song voice said. She stood in the corner near my door, her eyes looking me up and down. As usual, her eyes were red, the choice being her's.

"Midnight," I greeted.

She laughed shrilly. "Why do you seem so upset?"

"Leave me alone, Midnight," I sighed.

"I came by orders, actually," she said, coldly.

"What are they, then?" I asked impatiently. Her face softened again, and a cruel smirk played on her mouth.

"Master would like to see you. Wouldn't tell me why. Just said it was _really_ important." Midnight had begun to walk around my room, playfully, taunting in that annoying voice of hers.

"Then leave, so I can be on my way," I said, hiding my impatience. And the dark fear that had crept its way into my stomach. Elliot was mad. He usually never wanted to see individuals.

"He wants us both, actually," Midnight said. "So…come, _Master_ Lightning." I glowered and followed her as she turned and faded into her abyss of a portal she was creating. We came out into the throne room. I automatically sank to my knee and bowed.

Midnight did the same and said, in unison with me, "Our Lord is superior. Hail, Master Elliot."

"Raise," he said in a cryptic voice. I stood first, ready to be done with this. Midnight rose as well.

"You've called us here, my Lord, what is it you need?" I said, hiding my impatience…and my fear.

"I have called upon both of you for an announcement," Elliot began. I noticed Trace leaning against a wall near Elliot. So he had been called to this announcement, too? Or maybe he already knew. He was just watching for the fun of it. Elliot continued. "I have come to the decision of a marriage," he paused to see everyone's reaction. I'm sure I had a look of surprise on my face.

"You've found someone to make you happy, my Lord?" Midnight asked.

"It is not _my_ wedding that we'll be attending," Elliot paused, and then continued, "It is Lightning and Midnight's wedding. We will celebrate." My fangs grew faster than they ever have.

"What!" Midnight and I asked in unison. My voice was a snarl.

"You have heard me. You're both getting married," Elliot repeated.

"I don't love her," I said, automatically, clenching my teeth.

"And? You _will_ marry her." Elliot had an edge to his voice.

"M-My Lord, I love Trace," Midnight whispered. Elliot's fist clenched and Midnight went flying backwards. She hit the wall with a shrill shriek that ended with a gurgled noise. Trace's eyes snapped open, and his body tensed.

"Don't defy me, Midnight. You know what happens you do." A small frail whimper sounded from her. I glared at the ground unable to make my fangs retract.

"Master, I do not love Midnight," I repeated.

"I told you before, Lightning," Elliot said, never raising his voice from that deep cryptic tone of his. "I do not care. Do not defy me. It is your best interest to marry her, isn't that right?"

I bitterly answered, "Yes Master." I turned my attention to Midnight who was rising up off of the floor.

"Trace, you may all leave," Elliot finally said. He nodded, and walked over to Midnight. He gave her a quick glare and ushered her out. She obeyed this as quickly as possible, limping as she did. I left as fast as fast as I could. As soon as I got out of sight around the corner, I punched a column and almost made it fall over. I grabbed it until it stopped shaking, and then walked away.

"Why the sour mood, Lightning?"Trace called from behind me. I glared at him.

"I'm going out for awhile," I spat. Trace arched an eye brow in amusement.

"Aren't we in a pissy mood? Why, is my dear Midnight not good enough for you?" Trace teased

"Go fuck off," I growled, fading into a portal I made around me.

"Oh, I think I know who you're going to see…Kairi, right?" Trace's voice slowly faded into the silence of night around me. His words didn't scare me. Not right now. I wouldn't let him get me anxious and fidgety.

Arriving in the open darkness of the still night, I knew I was alone, and no one was around for miles. I screamed at the top of my lungs. Birds from surrounding trees took flight. I collapsed on the ground in the open field. Tears of anger and frustration fell down my cheeks. The stars looked back at me, softly sparkling in the black sky. I didn't want to marry Midnight. She was Trace's prodigy! His blood! His living legend! And to be in the same room as her made me want to be sick! I screamed again, letting all my anger and pain flow into it. Fangira erupted from my soul, landing beside me.

_Lightning…_ Fangira said. I closed my eyes, and let him nuzzle me gently.

"Fangira…what am I supposed to do?" I whispered, pressing his forehead to mine, and I hugged my wonderful wolf.

Kairi's Point of View

"Is she doing any better, my lord?" a voice asked from somewhere close to me. I kept my eyes closed, trying to hear more.

"I don't know, Nightmare." Ashes voice replied. Nightmare was wondering about me?

"Is she okay? She looks really pale," Nightmare replied.

"I drank too much last night. I…I don't know if she's going to be okay," Ash whispered.

"My Lord, you did the right thing. She would have died last night if you didn't," Negative's voice said.

"And what if she doesn't wake?" Ash barely whispered.

"Ash!" Fear gasped. "Don't say that! You know she'll wake up."

I took this as the perfect time to "wake up." I stirred a little, and heard everything around me go silent. I opened my eyes slowly, and looked up to see Ash, Nightmare, Fear, and Negative around me. Lancer was sitting on a chair near my bed.

"Kairi," Ash sighed. I cleared my throat some, and sat up straighter.

"Don't push yourself, my lady!" Lancer said. I rolled my eyes and smiled weakly.

"Hi," I said. Fear glanced at Ash who was still looking at me. I looked down to see Rath had added to my arms' collection of needles.

"Are you feeling alright Kairi?" Ash asked. I smiled my best reassuring smile.

"Of course I am, Ashu-Niisama," I said. His eyes became suspicious.

"Did Rath wake you up last night?" he asked.

"No, no, I had been up because of a bad dream and Yomi talked with me afterwards until I fell asleep," I said quickly.

Ash didn't say anything. He looked around the room, and finally said, "Leave us. I must talk to Kairi in private."

"Yes my lord," Fear said, waving for everyone to leave. Lancer faded into me, as everyone left.

When the door closed, Ash looked at me with sorrowful eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I really am, brother. I'm fine. A bit weak, but I'm okay," I said honestly.

"Does your arm hurt?" he asked pointing to the crimson bandage around my wrist.

"Yea. But that's because it's been mauled. I'm okay Ash," I said. "Promise."

He nodded slowly, and sighed. He sat down in the chair Lancer had been sitting in.

"Let me see your arm. I'll change the bandages it for you." I nodded, almost numbly, and let him unravel the dark bandage. Two deep wet, sticky holes adorned my wrist. I glanced at the other wrist that bore my Insignia and thanking god that it hadn't been my right wrist that got bit.

Ash cleansed the wound, and wrapped it in new, clean bandages. "So…when can you take these needles out?" I asked weakly and feeling myself pale.

"I think soon. Now, I shouldn't be holding your friends up any longer…" Ash said, before the door opened. I looked up to see Kiyo, Yoru, and Yomi quickly walking into the room towards me. I held Yomi's eyes a bit longer than Yoru and Kiyo's.

_ Don't worry. Only I know,_ Yomi thought before I tore my eyes to Kiyo who was demanding to know if I was.

"Yea. I'm fine. A bit weak, a little dizzy, but nothing too major," I said, smiling. Yomi watched Kiyo and Yoru the whole time trying to make sure they didn't notice that we were hiding something.

Kiyo's eyes never left me. Yoru looked as if she was in deep thought. "What's wrong Yoru?" I asked, hoping she didn't suspect anything. She didn't answer at first and then turned to Kiyo and Yomi.

"Someone else has been in here. Someone who wasn't supposed to be here." My eyes grew wide and I immediately looked to Kiyo. She was looking at me.

"Has anyone been in here, Kairi?" she asked, looking a bit worried. My heart thudded loudly.

"Only Yomi, Rath, Lancer, Nightmare, Fear, Negative, and Ash," I said, hoarsely. My nervousness made me sound scared, adding a great effect to my innocent answer.

"Did you see anyone last night, Yomi?" Ash asked. Yomi hid her nervousness well.

"No. I was standing outside the door to make sure of it. Then, Rath came to check on her. I stayed with her until she fell asleep and then for a few hours afterwards. No one was here when I was here."

I kept silent, not even daring to look anywhere else but at Yomi. "How strange. I _do _smell a scent in here…" Ash trailed off. Kiyo leaned against him. He automatically put an arm around her as he thought. "Who would leave Kairi alive?" he muttered to himself. "Better yet, who could manage to get past all of our security?"

Yomi sat down in the chair beside Ash and he rose automatically rose, motioning for Kiyo to sit instead of him. She nodded, and sat. Yoru stood, seeming to still be lost in her thoughts.

"Does anyone know where Negative is?" Yomi asked after awhile.

"He was here a few minutes before you guys came in," I said. She shrugged and we didn't talk for a long time. Breaking the silence, Ash finally told them to make room for him to take the needles out of my arms. I gulped loudly.

He pursed his lips, and paused before reaching for my arm. Kiyo scooted her chair back so Ash could have some more room. He sighed, gently removing each needle slowly. My teeth stayed clenched through the whole process.

Finally, he pulled the last one out. I glanced down at my arms, marred and bloody. Yomi walked into the room (I hadn't noticed she had left through my concentration not to jerk) with a glass of water for me.

Ash quickly cleaned my arms up, and Yomi handed me the glass of water. I sipped the water, putting my parched throat into heaven.

"We'll look into who was here, Kairi," Ash said after a few solemn moments of silence.

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Ashu-Niisama," I said, offering him a small smile. He returned the smile with a more strained, worried one of his own. Kiyo stroked his shoulder soothingly. He turned and kissed her very gently before turning to leave. "I'll make sure to have someone guard your room, Kairi. Rest up," Ash said. "Good-bye, my lovely Kiyo. Yomi, Yoru." He nodded to us all before turning to leave.

Yomi and I exchanged quick glances, ones that weren't seen. By anyone.

Yomi's Point of View

I glanced one last time at Kairi before smiling and saying, "Hope you feel better soon, Kairi."

She smiled and nodded. "Yup, I'll be better before you know it." She looked fine, but her thoughts had a sharp edge to them. _Be careful, Yomi,_ she thought.

_I will. You better be careful, too,_ I thought back. I turned to leave with Kiyo and Yoru, probably back to Yoru's room where we had all been staying ever since Kairi had been hospitalized. It was late now, meaning we had spent the whole day with Kairi in the infirmary. Yoru seemed extra quiet on the way back to her room. I knew she was thinking about Kairi's "unknown" visitor. She knew something was up.

"I hope she can leave the infirmary soon…"Kiyo sighed.

"Yea, so do I," I replied. Yoru didn't say anything. We had reached the hallway that had our bedrooms were in.

"So, who's room tonight?" I asked. They glanced at each other.

"Yours," they replied in unison.

"Of course," I said, rolling my eyes. Yoru and Kiyo 'skinned' (which meant high-fived in our terms) each other. I opened my bedroom door, and walked over to my desk. I brushed through my hair while Kiyo and Yoru collapsed on my bed. I let my hair flow down to my knees and pinned my bangs back with a star clip.

"I'm going for a walk in the Gardens. If Negative stops by, tell him for me?"

"Will do, Yomi," Kiyo assured me.

"See you guys later," I replied before leaving my room. I walked down the hall, nodding at people like Night Rider, or Rath. I made my way into the darkened Gardens.

"Kiyomi," I heard his voice call to me. I automatically smiled and I looked back into Negative's wonderful eyes that were illuminated by the torches near us. "I found you, my lovely Kiyomi." I smiled, feeling that stupid, dreadful, blush spread across my cheeks. He put a gentle hand on my chin and kissed my forehead.

I wrapped my arms around him, tightly, holding him to me protectively. Negative put his arms around me. We swayed slightly in a comforting way for awhile before he pulled back and took my hand in his. I hadn't realized I had tears in my eyes until he wiped them away. I automatically turned my head, embarrassed. I didn't want him to see me when I'm upset.

"Kiyomi, I'm so sorry," he whispered, and I could hear in his voice how much the event of his possession still haunted him. Even after so many months, Negative was tortured by his downfall. It made me want to cry in frustration.

"No," I said, turning to face him. "No. It wasn't your fault. You couldn't fight Elliot's control, Negative. No one can, except for maybe Ash," I said fiercely.

"I can't forgive myself for what I've done to you, what I've done to my love," he whispered closing his eyes. My heart wrenched.

"Don't say that," I pleaded. "You couldn't help it."

"Look," he said, wiping a wet streak from my cheek. "I made you cry. You're scared of me because of I did," he whispered.

"Do not say that to me, Negative Weiss," I whispered. "I could never be scared of you. You're my Negative. _My_ Negative. I'm crying because I'm _happy_. I'm happy that you're okay, and you're here. So, don't be upset, because I'm here and I love you Negative; with all my heart," I told him.

He looked at me right in the eyes, allowing me to see the green and the red in the soft torch-light. He moved closer and dipped into a kiss. And we kissed softly. I got lost in him, letting myself forget about Kairi, the Human World, Lightning…everything.

When he pulled back, I leaned into him, and allowed him to hold me. "I love you," I said simply.

"I love you, too, Kiyomi," he whispered in my ear. I smiled, and pulled away, keeping only his hand.

"Wanna take a walk?" I asked, hopefully.

"Of course," he said, as I pulled him along with me. It was the first time I had ever been able to just _be_ with him since he had gotten possessed. We spent an hour just talking and hugging. It was dark by now, and I knew I'd have to go inside soon.

Negative kissed my forehead. "I'm on Guard Duty, tonight," he sighed. I felt my face fall.

"Do you _have_ to be on Guard Duty?" I whispered. He nodded, sullenly.

"I'll return to you by morning, my love," he vowed. I smiled a little. Negative walked me back to my room where I found Kiyo and Yoru in mid conversation.

"I swear, man, he looked like a hobo!" Yoru exclaimed to Kiyo. She burst into laughter. Out of the loop, I walked to the bed, and sat down.

"Have a good time?" Kiyo asked after simmering down her laughter. I nodded, still a bit dazed by Negative's kiss. I slept well that night, trying my best to forget all the things that had me stressed.

9


	16. Return To Her By Hallows Eve

_**~Chapter Fifteen: Return to Her on Hollow's Eve~**_

Kairi's Point of View

The week passed, and I was on my feet again. I made a full recovery, and finally breathed my first breath of fresh air outside the dank infirmary. Ren was still cooped up in there, and really, I kinda felt bad for him. Kinda is the key word. The day I was free of the infirmary, I went out into the grounds.

I knew Lightning would probably sense my well-being, and come and find me. I was still out of Guardian Training for awhile, so it wasn't hard to lose track of time. I had been released in the morning, around dawn. I had met up with Kiyo, Yomi, and Yoru, whom were still sleeping when I opened Kiyo's bedroom door.

They had been really excited that I was free from my prison. We had talked for a long time, and Yomi and Kiyo had gone off with Ash and Negative. Axel and Lancer had been hanging out the whole day. Yoru was off walking around the grounds, thinking, or maybe she was with Negative and Yomi by now.

So I had decided to wait out in the gardens where I usually met Lightning. He always came here when I was waiting, as if he knew I would always be waiting for him. And I would be. I'd wait for Lightning forever. The pang of guilt that twisted my stomach faded when I heard a noise.

A rustling in the bushes confirmed my suspicions. I watched as Lightning peeked out of the bushes. His wonderful blue eyes landed on me, and a smile lit up his face.

"You! I knew you'd be out here," Lightning exclaimed, and stepped out of the bushes, towards me. He opened his arms, and I walked into them. He held me for awhile like usual, taking in my scent.

"I'm okay, and safe, and most importantly, I'm alive," I said against him. He pulled back, and allowed his eyes to look me up and down. He then took my wrist in his hand, the one that had been bitten so many times.

My wounds had scabbed over, and were healing much faster than they were the first few days in the infirmary. It had taken a long time for my body to come out of shock and start healing properly.

Lightning tenderly stroked my arm, looking upset again. "Hanashi was awarded for what she had done to you. As of right now, Master Elliot thinks you're dead. He thinks you're going to be reincarnated into your next life, and that they should start searching the Sanctuary and the Human World."

"Lightning, they think I'm dead?" I asked, confused. He nodded. "Wouldn't Elliot be able to…_know_ if I were dead?"

"He hasn't had the chance, too. Things have been…hectic…at the castle. It's making arrangements for a wedding right now…" he whispered, looking away from me.

"A wedding? In the middle of a war? Why in the name of Lord Ash would he do that?" I asked, bewildered by this news.

"I don't know, Kairi," he said, pulling me closer to him. Something in his posture and mood changed. I automatically picked up on the change.

"What's wrong Lightning?" I asked feeling scared for him. I'd never seen him this scared, and this defenseless. He was like a child who had lost its way.

"Master Elliot did something awful…" he whispered. I pulled back to look him in the eyes.

"What did he do?" I asked quietly. There was noise from behind us. I gasped, and he quickly brought his lips to mine. Before I could get lost in the kiss, to melt under his touch, it was all gone, as if nothing had ever been there.

"Kairi?" Yoru asked. I slowly turned around, probably looking bewildered, and a little upset. She approached me, looking concerned.

"Are you okay, Kairi?" she asked, putting a hand on my shoulder. I nodded, almost in a daze. I tried to clear my mind quickly.

"Yea. I'm fine," I replied, giving her a small smile. She nodded, and I hugged her. She hugged me back, and allowed her to hold me for a little while before pulling back. "Don't worry about me, I'm fine."

"You sure?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. I nodded, and smiled a smile that I hope reassured her. She nodded after a long moment.

"Let's walk; we haven't been able to spend any time together. Alone, that is," I laughed.

"Yes, let us," she laughed. We walked off towards the fountains, and as we did, I couldn't help but feel a sadness fall over me. Something in the back off my head told me something wasn't right with Lightning and I couldn't shake it.

One month passed. I stepped into a daily routine; Guardian Training during the week, days off with Lightning and my friends on the weekends. Lightning had failed to tell me what had been bothering him, and every time I was around him, it seemed to slip my mind.

Guardian Haru taught me how to use my Insignia to my advantage. He taught me how to control my fire, and use it at my own will. I mourned Misula for weeks after the Layra incident. Then, I vowed to become strong enough to kill Hanashi.

Guardian Haru taught me to use a sword much better, especially now that I had Ryokua. Kuroyasha and Ryokua hit it from the start. They had gotten along from the beginning, and were becoming close friends.

The day came where I woke up on Saturday morning, and looked out the window to see a great deal of change in the color of the leaves. I smiled, and teased, "Well, aren't you just a smarty pants, Lancer."

He appeared beside me, smirking. "What did I tell you, Young Master? It changes; just like the Human World. Our seasons are mirrored."

So…what day is it?" I asked, more to myself. I picked up my diary Ashu-Niisama had gotten me when my Hope Diary had filled up. Across the front, Love was written in neat calligraphy. I popped the diary open and read the date of when I had wrote yesterday. _October 28, 2010, Thursday._

I gasped. "Halloween is really soon!" I shouted. "I have to go trick-or-treating!"

"Young Master, calm down. The Paranormal World celebrates Holidays, too. In this world, it is…" he paused, to think before continuing. He chuckled and finished. "Founder's Day in the Paranormal World on Halloween."

"What? Founder's Day is on Halloween?" I said, confused. He sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Yes, my lady. The Paranormal World was founded on Halloween. It's one of the main reasons the Human World celebrates it," Lancer explained. By the time he was done, I was smiling in awe.

I grabbed the pen, and jotted down this information next to my entry. I finished it off just as the door swung open with a loud thud. I quickly glanced up in surprise.

"Kairi, there's been news!" Yomi called from the door. I turned to look at her. She had a frown curving her lips down.

"News? Good news or bad news?" I asked suspiciously. She shrugged, and told me I would have to be the judge of that. I followed her into the hall, Lancer on my tale. We met with Yoru, and walked off towards the throne room.

"Where's Kiyo?" I asked, as we paced our steps.

"With Ashu-Niisama," Yomi said quickly. As we approached the throne room, the doors were opened, revealing Ashu-Niisama and Kiyo sitting on the large thrones. I put my right hand over my heart, and kneeled for a few seconds in respect before looking Ashu-Niisama in the eyes.

"What's wrong, My Lord?" I asked. He looked calm and relaxed, almost happy. Kiyo seemed to be fidget uncomfortably, yet she seemed excited. This confused me.

"It is time Kiyo and I journey to the ends of the Paranormal World. She must know of our kingdom, and there is only one way I know of." Ash didn't pause when he explained this, letting me take it in.

"We're going on a road trip?" I asked, feeling a bit of excitement light me up. Kiyo stirred uncomfortably again, glancing around the room without meeting my gaze.

"No, Kiyo, Thunder, Night Rider, and I are going on a 'road trip,'" he said. My heart twisted, and I twitched so bad that I thought my face was having a muscle spasm.

"Night Rider…and Thunder," I growled the names, "get to go off, and be Kiyo's Guardian…while I _stay home and be trained by Fear, Rath, and Haru?"_

"I told you," Kiyo said to Ash. He gave her a warm smile before turning back to me, Yomi, and Yoru.

"You will indeed be staying behind, but we will return in three months. Not too long for you to wait is it, Guardian?" he asked, smirking. I stomped my foot without realizing it.

"That's so wrong, Ashu-Niisama!" I whined. He rolled his eyes. "When are you leaving?"

"After the Hollow's Eve Festival. We leave the day of, and return when winter is in full-swing," Ash explained.

"I'm not staying here while Kiyo gets to go see the World I've been living in for the past three months!" I complained.

Ash waved his hand dismissively. "We'll be back in no time, Silly Shugo Kairi." I looked at Kiyo for any help at all, any sign saying that this was a joke, and that we were being filmed right now or something, but all she did was shake her head and mouth, _Sorry. _

I groaned, and turned to leave. "I feel the love," I muttered, sarcastically as I retreated for the door. Yomi and Yoru gave quick bows before running to catch up with me.

I wasn't really mad, just upset that Kiyo and Ash were going to be going around the Paranormal World without me. And on top of that…Thunder and…_Night Rider _would be going as her Guardians! That's my job! I'm her Guardian, not Night Rider! That same protectiveness came over me, that same feeling that _I_ was the only one that could protect her right. Anger boiled within me, and soon I had flames licking at my finger tips.

"Kairi, calm down! It's just for three months! By then, you'll be an even better Guardian. And I'm sure that Night Rider will take care of her," Yomi soothed.

"I don't trust Night Rider, especially after what he did to me!" I hissed. The mention of it brought back the memories of me lying in the grass, crying over a broken heart.

I remember the words that had cut into me only moments before. _Fear and Night Rider got back together._ My world had crashed, and it had sent me to the ground with it. Night Rider had feelings for me. He always had. But they were nothing compared to the feelings he felt for Fear. I had gotten myself so wrapped around the idea that someone had loved me, that I had forgotten this detail.

And now I would always hate him. He had liked me, probably still does, but he threw it away to be with Fear. They were destined to be together, destined to live happily forever after. I didn't have anyone…until I met Lightning. The thought of him cleared the haze of hate and sadness, broke through the clouds of pain and seemed to warm me from inside to out.

"Kairi?" Yoru asked, waving a hand in front of my face. I blinked, coming out of my deep thoughts. "Kairi, are you still with us?" Yoru laughed at the joke that I hadn't quite got.

"Yea. Sorry, I was just thinking," I said. We had stopped about half-way back to our rooms. I shook my head as if to clear. Yoru and Yomi exchanged glances before we continued walking in unison.

"When are the Festivals?" I asked hotly as my temper returned.

"Over the next few days," Yomi explained, "Three days of festivities in the town around the castle. On the first day, the town is made into a 'Ghost Town' with people dressed up in scary costumes, and make haunted houses. You get the gist. The second day, is pretty much just like the Human World during Halloween, everyone exchanges candy. On the third day of the Hollow's Eve Festival, there is a large parade. Ash and Kiyo will leave from the parade." When she was done, I was wondering how she had found all this up. I didn't bother asking, though. Yomi's sources were better off left unknown sometimes.

"Great. This should be fun," I heaved.

"And I'm going to have to dress up!" I complained to Lightning who was sitting under me, playing with a strand of my pink hair. He had me sitting on his lap with an arm around me and the other was free to do things like that.

"You would be very sexy as a Vampire," he suggested, a hint a dark humor in his voice.

"Be my guest," I said, brushing my hair back and baring my neck to him. He rolled his eyes.

"I was mostly joking, Kairi," Lightning said, leaning close to my neck. It sent chill bumps though my whole body when he was this close to my neck. I felt his lips press to my skin, and my heart skittered faster.

He pulled back, smiling at the blush that he had made across my face. I pushed him playfully. "Jerk!" I said, joking. He wrapped his arms around me and gave me a sheepish smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said, innocently. This time, I rolled my eyes.

"Uh huh, sure," I laughed. I looked into his brilliant blue eyes like I usually did, allowing myself to get lost in them. "Lightning, your eyes are amazing," I whispered after a long time. He chuckled.

"So are yours. Your eyes are the same blue as the sky," he murmured.

"Your eyes remind me of a deep blue ocean." He looked down, blushing a bit. This made me blush in return. He looked back up after a moment, and smiled.

"There's only one thing I have to say," he whispered in my ear. I waited for him to continue.

When he didn't I whispered, "What's that?"

Lightning smiled, and leaned closer to my ear. "I love you; so much that sometimes it hurts."

I looked at him, surprised. I loved the sound of those words leaving his lips. I felt myself smiling, that stupid goofy smile that you can never wipe off your face.

"I love you, too, Lightning," I managed to say. He smiled again, and cradled me in his arms. I sighed heavily when I noticed the sky becoming an orange color with the sun setting.

"I guess I should go. Dinner will be soon," I said, unwillingly. He let a long sigh out as I had before helping me get off his lap.

"I'll see you when I can, okay?" he said, gently cupping my face and moving strands of my hair from my eyes.

"Of course," I said smiling. He leaned down and plunged me into a long, absorbed kiss that left me breathless and dizzy. "Bye, I love you," I managed to make myself say.

"Good bye, my lovely Kairi," he said gently. Then he disappeared. I swooned to myself, and tried to calm my breathing as I walked back to my room to get ready for dinner.

No one really spoke at dinner, obviously all too scared I would scream at them if they said the wrong thing. Lancer had been particularly quiet since Lightning had visited, but this seemed normal by now. Lancer didn't like Lightning at all. He was extremely protective of me, being my servant and all.

I looked around the table, seeing Yomi looking at me. By the look she was giving me, I could tell she knew about the Lightning thing. I was glad that Kiyo didn't know. I had a feeling she would be screaming right now if she did. Usually when Kiyo entered my head, she never looked for anything I was keeping from her. She was my friend, and gave me privacy. I never thought about it when she entered my head, so it never gave her reason to.

When dinner and dessert were both finished, we all piled in my room for the night with the exception of Kiyo. She was sleeping with Ash tonight. I had gotten used to this concept, but I swear, if I find out she lost her virginity, I will kill someone. The mere thought made me twitch.

I took my diary and scribbled an entry under the date before going to sleep.

Morning woke me, and I found myself clinging to Lancer. I found this surprising and scooted away immediately. He stirred at the movement, but never woke. I looked around, happy that I was the only one up. Negative lay close to Yomi, and Yoru lay in between me and Yomi. Lancer was to my right.

Kuroyasha and Ryokua lay on Kuroyasha little area where she slept. I was guessing poor Axel was in Kiyo's room alone with Haiiroyasha. Or maybe they were both inside Kiyo.

As the day brightened, everyone began to wake. We got dressed, and met Kiyo in the hall outside my room. She looked excited. Pft. I was not excited for this. I knew after the Festivals were done, Kiyo and Ash would be leaving.

The first day of the Hollow's Eve Festival was okay, I guess. We spent most of the time screaming and laughing, getting ourselves scared and on edge. We stayed up very late (thank God, I didn't have Guardian Training tomorrow) just running around the haunted looking town.

I didn't take in the fact that I felt like I was being watched through the entire day. A feeling of eyes staring into my back kept me on edge enough without all the dressed up houses, and scary looking people. The moon was about to reach the top of the sky, when I felt a God-awful feeling to get my protectants inside the castle.

We were right outside the black smith's shop when this feeling hit me; we weren't even close to the castle wall, much less the castle itself. Irrational fear crept into my being as my eyes darted around us nervously.

"We have to go," I said urgently to Kiyo. She gave me a confused looked, and looked around us.

"What do you…?" She suddenly clenched her stomach, feeling the same feeling I had; a feeling of great danger. Yomi turned to us and opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off.

"We need to go. Now." Without any other words, we set off towards the castle. I stopped a little ways down the paved street and grabbed Yoru's arm. "Yoru, we have to go."

"I know. I feel it as well," she said urgently. "Get to the castle; we must inform Ash." Without knowing what we were running from, we continued down the street and towards the castle. We entered the western gate where hardly anyone was. A few guards stood there, lazily talking about the festivities going on outside the walls of the grounds. We passed them quickly, not giving them time to notice our strange behavior. Only a few more steps and we would be in the safety of the castle walls where we could all relax.

Before I could have that luxury, I saw something moving in the shadows. The figure moved some, and then fell in step with us, though it was ten feet away. I stepped up the pace, keeping a protective eye out for my protectants. It slowly grew closer.

Kiyo squeezed closer to me as we ran. Yoru stepped in front of Yomi, keeping in step with us. It grew just an inch closer; that was too close for me. I threw fire at it viciously. It hissed, and flinched back away from the flames. I stopped in my tracks to defend better. I forced more upon the dark figure, trying to get it farther away.

"Get inside!" I shouted, throwing more fire at the shadowy beast. They took off running to the doors and I followed after, bursting in like water being held behind a dam. Yoru closed the door quickly.

"What the heck was that?" Yomi panted. I shook my head, unable to answer for sure. It had just been a dark figure that had been in the shadows. Then suddenly, it just rose up like a cloak. I shuddered at the reminder.

"I say, we go back out there, and find out," Yoru said, looking at me. I smirked at her tone.

"Never back down from a challenge, right?" I replied. She laughed, and we high-fived each other.

"You guys are not going back out there!" Kiyo hissed. We turned to look at her.

"What? Why not? We have scythes, and I have fire. That should be plenty enough to fight off whatever is out there. It looked like it was afraid of fire, too!" I whined the last part. She glared and shook her head as a no.

"Kiyo, for goodness sake, I'm a Guardian-" I didn't say anything when Yomi thought _in training_ "-and I can take care of something this small!"

"Fine! Go, but I'll remind them to say you were _stupid _at your funerals!" she hissed, clearly disappointed by our decision. Yoru and I exchanged glances before laughing.

"We are stupid, but that's why you love us!" I joked. Kiyo grumbled under her breath as Yoru and I approached the door. We both slipped out, scythes forming in our hands. I felt my fire lick at the tips of my fingers, just as it always did when I was ready to summon it at will.

The dark figure was lurking in the shadows, waiting for us. Yoru and I took on a fighting stance, ready to fight off anything that was coming. Suddenly, the figure seemed to multiply. First into two, then four, then eight, then sixteen; soon we were surrounded by the dark figures. I gasped at the numbers. Yoru and I were back to back, waiting for them to attack.

When they did, we were swarmed. I did my best to attack them, but there wasn't enough room to swing. I called upon fire to fend them off. They recoiled, trying desperately to get away from the flames. Suddenly, Yoru and I were knocked to the ground.

I reached for her, and brought her close to me, trying to keep her safe from the things surrounding us. I felt the cold presence that they brought with them, and wanted to shriek. Then, as if nothing had ever happened, they were gone. I gasped, still panting and sweating from the assault.

Yoru and I looked around to see only two figures left. We scooted backwards away from them, not knowing what to expect this time. "What you saw before, the creatures that were attacking you are called Darklings," said a very familiar male voice. He and the other shadow stepped forward, bringing light to their faces.

I gasped aloud.

"Rufus? Archer?" Yoru whispered.


	17. Leaving Behind

_**~Chapter Sixteen: Leaving Behind~**_

"I knew it was impossible for such lies to be true," Rufus murmured, staring intently at me. I shook my head in denial, confused.

I couldn't make myself register the fact that two people that had been dead were standing in front of Yoru and me. I blinked, trying to make myself realize that Archer was alive, and Rufus was too.

"Young master," Archer said, bowing deeply to Yoru. "I've been an awful servant to you. I am sorry for not being here when you needed me." She jumped up, and hugged him. I was utterly surprised, but felt the complete love and bond that they felt towards one another.

"What happened to you? I thought you were dead!" she said, not letting go of him. I could have sworn she was so happy I saw a tear fill her eye. But of course, this is Yoru we're talking about, so it must have been my imagination.

"We'll explain everything when we get you inside to safety," Rufus said, putting his hands on our backs to push us along. Archer followed willingly.

I opened the door to be greeted by Kiyo and Yomi talking, looking a bit pissed. "We're fine," I said sheepishly before smiling and walking into the castle completely. Yoru followed me, and was soon glared at like me. But when Rufus and Archer entered the room their faces turned blank, and then surprised.

"Miss Kiyo, Miss Yomi," Archer said, bowing. Yomi and Kiyo exchanged glances before looking back at Archer and Rufus.

"Uh, hi there," Yomi said unsure.

"Is that…Archer?" Kiyo asked, surprised. Archer looked up and nodded. She dashed over, and hugged him just as I thought she would. I joined the hug, and he awkwardly hugged us back.

"That, uh, isn't necessary, Miss Kairi, Miss Kiyo," Archer stuttered. We released him, and I turned to hug Rufus. He hugged me back, and I looked to Yoru for guidance.

She nodded, and turned to face Rufus. "Explain, please."

"After you went to the Sanctuary the day your memories were taken, you met Nightmare and Viviane. Nightmare had been given orders to make you lose your memories, whether he did it himself, or someone else did it. Around this time, is when the confusion begins, correct?" We nodded in response. He continued. "There was an illusion that had settled over Archer and me. It made us seem to be doing things that we weren't. When Yoru came to me, begging me, pleading on her knees, I could only oblige to her wishes." Rufus paused to look down, as if ashamed.

"Rufus, don't be upset about it, its okay," I said, putting a hand on his shoulder. He nodded then continued.

"Strange things began to happen. Archer and I were sent to this strange world that I didn't know existed. We roamed this world for a long time, watching time slowly creep by. At times, Archer would want to give up. But I would remind him of his master waiting for him. We pulled each other through the desolate world. We didn't know of the word time. We just continued pulling ourselves forward.

"After a long time of roaming, we found a light. It was very small at first, but began to radiate brighter and brighter, leading the way out of the cruel world. As we followed it, we became hopeful again. It gave us the courage to keep moving, the cause being that we may find you at the end of our journey," Rufus said, pointing to Yoru.

"When the light stopped moving abruptly, we walked right into by accident; on the contrary it sent us flying into this world. I assume that this is the Paranormal World, correct?" I nodded, and he continued. "When we came into this world, I knew where to go. Maybe intuition leaded me here, but I knew where I would find Yoru."

"I knew where to find my Young Master because of our bond. I followed Rufus, knowing he was going in the right direction. It is such a delight to be back in your services, Young Master." Archer swept a gallant bow, and Yoru hugged him.

"You're both actually here, and alive! They must have been illusions…" Yoru said the last part more to herself than anyone.

"Illusions, Young Master?" Archer questioned.

"Yea, Rikuto and Shiro, one a samurai and one a ninja, both posed as you and Rufus after I lost my memories," Yoru explained in better detail. "They must have been illusions."

"Yes, because obviously we are right here at your front," Rufus said. Yoru nodded and smiled. She walked up to Rufus, and reached for the top of his head.

"Can you bend down? I can't reach your ears," she said, standing on her tip-toes. Rufus blinked, but did as he was told. She patted his head, smiling. This made Rufus, Kiyo, Yomi, Archer, and I all smile as memories swarmed my head.

Before anything else could be said, or even done, Lancer and Axel appeared at that moment, feeling the presence of a third servant in the area. Both of them on the defense, they summoned their weapons immediately. Archer's bow appeared automatically, and he wrapped his arm around Yoru pulling her behind him.

"Lancer!" I shouted.

"Axel!" Kiyo yelled.

"Archer, stop!" Yoru commanded. All three of the tense servants froze in their places. Recognition sparked through the bonds I shared with Lancer and Kiyo; Kiyo's coming from Axel.

There was a long tense silence before Axel's ax disappeared and he slowly stepped towards Archer. "Archer? Is that really you?" he whispered.

"Dear friend!" Archer said after awhile. They embraced, letting us all relax a little (though I didn't much.) Lancer stepped back, and his lance faded. "And you as well, Lancer!" Archer exclaimed running forward.

"Ah, Archer," Lancer said, trying to behave himself and not let the nasty comments of how terrible a king he would be slip out. They embraced as well, which didn't last as long as Archer and Axel's hug.

Archer swapped stories with the other two servants while Yoru, Kiyo, Yomi, and I questioned Rufus on random things like how he was and if he was okay. After awhile, Kiyo finally said, "I think we're safe to go outside now. Whatever was out there is definitely gone, right Rufus?"

"Yes, indeed, the Darklings are gone," Rufus said after a few seconds. "But be warned, they could easily return. If you have a Pendulum, do keep it near." The name pendulum surprised me; I had forgotten all about our pendulums.

Yoru, Yomi, Kiyo, and I exchanged glances. We were going to need them. Five minutes later, I was looping Eleanor onto a necklace chain, and tying her around my neck. Kiyo's Eleanor was also around her neck. Kiyomi's Cecilia and Yoru's Mad Hatter were dangling from chains as well.

"Everyone safe and sound?" I asked before opening the door to the outside of the castle. A synchronized 'yes' was heard around the circle before we stepped out into the darkness of the night.

Thank heavens, we didn't see any more of the Darklings. When the end of the first day of Hollow's Eve came, we explained to Ashu-Niisama about Rufus and Archer's appearance and the Darklings that confronted us. We told him that Archer was Yoru's servant as Axel and Lancer were for Kiyo and me.

Ash graciously allowed Rufus to stay along with Archer as well. Rufus would be staying in a guest room in the same hallway as our rooms. He was allowed to stay for as long as he needed.

We spent dinner silently reflecting on the day's events, and the days to come. Things were complicated, in a simple way. Kiyo was leaving us. To go see the world with Ash. I sighed heavily to myself.

_My Lady, it'll be okay,_ Lancer soothed in my mind. I allowed myself to let his words calm me. He was right. Everyone was safe right now. Kiyo and Ash were just…going on vacation. Yea, that's what I'd call it. Going on vacation. For three months. I sighed aloud.

Everyone was excused from the dinning hall. Yomi and Yoru had decided that maybe me and Kiyo should spend some time together, alone (I'm pretty sure Yomi had listened to my thoughts, why else would she randomly tell Kiyo and I to go to my room, and stay there together, for the rest of the night?)

Yoru and Yomi stayed in Yoru's room with Archer and Shiroyasha. Kiyo's and my lions preferred to stay inside us for tonight, giving us some time to just hang out like we used to. It had been a long day, and that long day had taken its toll on us, but we were forcing ourselves to stay awake by the time the moon was well over half way across the sky.

We mostly talked, and allowed Lancer and Axel to chat freely with each other. Kiyo and I finally fell asleep, on the couch near my fireplace. It was a peaceful sleep, and very deep.

When I woke up the next morning, my head was resting on someone's chest, and I reminded myself it was probably another dream. I closed my eyes back, and fell back to sleep. Seconds later, they snapped back open, realizing I was awake for real, and had the sense of being on my bed. I blinked, and looked up at the face of who I was leaning my head on without actually raising up. Surprise shocked me. Lancer was sleeping peacefully under me, an arm wrapped around me in a protective way.

I didn't move, too scared I would wake my servant up. I glanced over at Kiyo. She was wrapped in Axel's arms. Axel's cheek rested on her forehead in an almost childish way. Kiyo seemed completely at peace, and deeply into her dreams. I looked back to Lancer, and then sighed heavily.

There was a tap on the door, before it slowly opened. Ash peeked in, and I felt tension build in the air. The calm gentle expression that had been on his face quickly dissipated and turned into a hard look of anger. I almost made a loud noise of horror.

Ash quickly strode into the room, and was about to demand what this was about, but before he could, Lancer fidgeted. He stirred a little before he opened his eyes groggily. When he took in his surroundings, he gave me a cocky grin.

"What the…" I began before Ash exploded.

Ash's Point of View

"Why is Kiyo sleeping with Axel?" Kairi jumped at the outburst. Lancer looked over at Axel and my Kiyo, who was delicately folded into his arms. Anger pulsed through me. It was bad enough that he hadn't saved her from getting her forearm sliced open, but now he was sleeping with her? That's crossing my line.

Kiyo stirred from my loud shout. She blinked, and then slowly closed her eyes again. As for Axel, he opened his eyes, and stayed awake. He looked around, a little confused about what had woke him up. He looked down at Kiyo before smiling gently. She fidgeted, and blushed as if she could tell he was watching her. More anger pulsed through me.

Kairi twitched, and sat up off of Lancer's chest blushing at the whole ordeal that I had found them in. "Ash, it's definitely not what you think!" she stuttered. I almost shouted at her.

"What are you…?" Axel asked, but trailed off when he realized I was standing at the end of Kairi's bed. He fidgeted a bit before gently shaking Kiyo to wake up. She didn't at first, but was soon grumbling about the displeasure of being awakened. When her eyes took in her position with Axel, she blushed a deeper red than the red of a cherry.

"Uh…" she looked around at Kairi and Lancer before noticing me. Seeming a bit awkward by this, she automatically jumped up, and ran for my arms, almost tripping the entire time. "Ash!" she said, in joy. I didn't reply, only holding my arms out for her to walk into. She did, and I enclosed her in them silently. I shot a glare at Axel he fidgeted under my gaze.

"Awkward," Kairi said after a long moment of me glaring, Lancer playing with a strand of her hair, and Axel twitching unbelievably.

"Oh yes. Quite," I said, icily. Axel suddenly stood, and walked over to us. I resisted the urge to send him flying out the window.

"My Lady, I find it uncomfortable that you are in such arms," Axel said. I was outraged.

"Uncomfortable? In such arms? She is my dearest, my love, my life! You find it uncomfortable for me to hold someone that is as close as that to me? _Nemo Kiyo accipe a me!"_ I growled the last part. Kiyo looked at me confused, only understanding her name and maybe even the word 'nemo' but only because of the song named after it.

Axel looked offended. "It's my duty to protect her."

This is when Kairi stepped in. "Excuse me, but that would be my job." I rolled my eyes.

"It is my main priority to keep my Kiyo safe, and that is final," I said. Kiyo suddenly burst from my arms.

"Would you all just stop arguing about who's supposed to protect me! Axel is my servant! Kairi is my Guardian! Ash is my love and my life!" Kiyo shouted. We fell silent. Axel and I swapped glares before she sighed heavily. "Return to me, Axel." Axel faded immediately. I pulled Kiyo back into my arms. She sighed heavily.

"I came to wake you both up; the festivities are about to begin," I explained numbly, too full of the rage I felt at Axel to allow any emotion to show on my face.

"Well, we're definitely up now," Kairi muttered, inching away from Lancer so she could roll of the other end of the bed. She walked up to me, and stifled a yawn. "We're up and moving, Ashu-Niisama. We'll get ready now."

"Very well. Yoru and Kiyomi are both already finished putting their costumes on," I said. I planted a kiss on Kiyo's forehead before turning to leave the room. That damn Axel would pay if I ever found him all over my Kiyo again.

Kairi's Point of View

"What the heck, Lancer?" I hissed after Ash left and there was a long silence. He shrugged, and looked at me sheepishly. You seemed to be sleeping restlessly so I comforted you. You kept tossing and turning like you were having bad dreams. I hate watching you thrash around like that," he whispered.

I was surprised to hear this, and even more surprised when a blush spread across my face. I didn't say anything, and finally sighed as my face began to cool. I stood up from my bed, and said, "Thank you, Lancer." Without another word, I began to get ready.

"Kiyo, help me!" I complained loudly as my pink hair refused to go into equal pig tails. Kiyo laughed and helped me put them up right. She helped me with my make-up and I helped her with her own.

As ironic as it sounds, I had been planning on being a Vampire, even before Lightning had said anything. I was wearing a short pink and black dress that frilled up in a showy kinda way. The dress' top was corset designed, and clung to me. I was wearing pink converse, the color of my dress and hair, and netted stockings. I had fake, but very real looking, fangs on top of my canine teeth.

Kiyo was being a fairy. She had large magnificent purple wings extruding from her costume, and a dark blue and purple short frilly dress that came to the top of her knees. She wore stripped stockings of blue and purple. She also wore normal black converse, and wore her hair long and down.

As we got ready, I hadn't realized how long our hair had gotten since we came to the Paranormal World. My hair was way past my waist, now hanging at my knees. In pigtails, it reached the top of my thighs. I hadn't been noticing its fast growth, but now that I thought about it, we _had_ been here for a good three months…

I shook the thought from my head, and we walked outside into the hallway. We were greeted by Yoru and Yomi, who were both in costumes. Yoru wore a tiger printed skirt with tiger printed leggings. She wore an elegant looking shirt that was also tiger printed whose sleeves came past her elbows. She had the same design on her arm warmers that came up to her sleeves, covering her arms with the illusion of tiger fur. She had little tiger ears mounted on top of her head. Her golden eyes matched the golden color of the tiger print she was wearing for shoes; she wore black flats that had a small bow at the toes.

Her hair was also longer, and flowed freely down her back. About a week ago, she had had it died black and had it cut some by one of the maidens in the castle. She didn't like her hair getting too long.

I looked from Yoru and to Yomi. She had her hair in high pigtails, and was wearing a light blue outfit. The outfit registered very familiar to me, so I examined closer, and finally placed the outfit as a cosplay outfit for Hatsune Miku. I smiled, wondering how in the worlds she had gotten any kind of cosplay in the Paranormal World, but before I could ask, she said, "Because I'm just good like that."

I rolled my eyes, and punched her arm playfully. "Well, you guys look great. Shall we go?" I asked. A chorus of agreement was heard and Kiyo took lead. We followed her outside, holding our trick-or-treat bags.

"Just so you know, I haven't done this in like two years," I laughed. Yomi looked at me, and shook her head in disproval. "What?" I said, defensively. She rolled her eyes, and we continued to go through the grounds.

We got to the town, and began going around and collecting candy. We did this for a few hours before taking a rest and heading back to the castle, and our rooms. I poured my candy out onto the bed before walking over to my mirror and touching up on my make-up.

"You look lovely, young master," Lacer said, from the couch in front of the fireplace. I jumped at his voice, remembering the blush that he had caused me to have earlier.

"Oh…thanks," I said, awkwardly. He didn't say anything, but I heard him get up and walk over to me. I didn't look at him as I continued to apply my eye-liner. There was silence before I heard him speak.

"I'm sorry I've caused you such an awkward air around us, my lady," Lancer said. I looked over at him, and was surprised to find him on one knee, and bowing his head to me.

"Lancer, rise," I commanded. He quickly stood. "Don't be sorry for what you did. You cannot help your protectiveness of me. You're my servant. And that's just a part of who you are. Don't be ashamed of who you are." I was surprised at how epic my words were. I didn't know I could sound so wise.

"But that's not what I'm ashamed of, my lady…" he whispered. I waited for him to continue, but he didn't. When he finally did I was surprised by what came out. "I'm ashamed of the feelings I have for you."

My stomach lurched. I felt another blush spread across my face. I put the eye-liner down, and turned to him. I looked at him for a second, and saw how this had upset him. My servant had fallen for me. Oh my gosh, I never thought this would have happened.

"Kiyo, Yomi, and Yoru are waiting, my lady," he whispered motioning to the door. I nodded, a bit numbly, before walking out the door. And when I did, I was greeted my Kiyo who was looking much too excited for us to just be going back outside.

"What is it?" I asked, unsure of what to say.

"Ash has given us permission to go to the Human World!" Kiyo said, jumping up and down. This seemed to clear the clouds of confusion and sink in.

"We're going to the Human World?" I asked, feeling excitement flood through me.

About an hour later, Kiyo, Yomi, Yoru, and I were in the grounds with Ashu-Niisama. He was explaining that we couldn't react with anyone, not even Yami or Mizu, and we could only be gone for an hour. We were disguised enough to go without any magic, just as long as he made it to where we were dressed like we were now.

He was going to send us there through a portal, too. Great. This was just great. I hated portals; I could never land right when I went through one. So when he opened the portal, and told all of us to hold onto each other, I really wasn't feeling up for it.

But then again, I really didn't have a choice when he pushed us through. The sensation of falling forward from a high cliff surrounded me, and I began to feel adrenaline course through my body. The feeling increased, and soon was knocked away when we hit the hard ground of the Earth, and Human World.

I groaned out loud, and rolled over onto my back. I was looking up into the stars. I gasped and sat up. The cool air around me reminded me it was October here too.

I looked around the darkness, and found Kiyo about four feet away from me. She was looking around in surprise. We had landed in my backyard. Yoru was on her feet, helping Yomi up. I quickly stood, and helped Kiyo. And quickly realized our appearance had changed.

My hair was its normal chocolate brown self, but was truly much longer than the last time I'd seen it. Kiyo's exotic hair color was back, and Yoru's had come back as well. Yomi's hair had hardly changed color, but definitely had.

When we were all set and ready to go, I pulled the gator key out of Eleanor's pouch and went to it. The lights in the house were all off, and I took this as a good sign to take the gator and go.

We did a quick look around before hopping on the gator and starting it up. We quickly drove away before anyone could wake up. We hit the pavement of the road, and drove towards Mizu's house. As we did, everything that used to seem familiar was foreign to me. The road and machines such as cars and tractors were freakishly a weird concept to me. We had decided that Mizu's house was the closest place, and the best place to start.

The drive to her house was long and very thoughtful for me. I knew if we were still in this world, we would be having a Halloween Party. Tonight, all of our friends would be listening to music, apple bobbing, watching scary movies, and eating tons of junk food. I felt a sense of longing come over me that accompanied a little bit of homesickness. I shook it from my mind. Thoughts like this were never good. I focused of the now.

When we got to Mizu's house, we parked away from the house and walked the rest of the way, knowing the gator would have woken the whole house. We snuck out of the woods that we had hid the gator in, and towards the house that was Mizu's.

We reached the window that let us see her living room. What I saw broke my heart. Mizu and Yami were both sitting on the couch, clinging to each other. Both of their eyes were red and puffy. They had been crying.

Mizu was leaning into Yami's arms, and she was comforting her. I slowly reached for the door, only to have a hand grab mine. I looked up to see Yoru's face looking upset. She shook her head slowly before releasing my hand. I let it fall to my side, and watched as Mizu and Yami continued to cry.

Kiyo and Yomi reached for each other, not knowing what else to do. We stood there for at least fifteen minutes, wallowing in the desire to go inside and take Mizu and Yami with us back to the Sanctuary or the Paranormal World, whatever one they were allowed to go back to.

But we were soon prompted for time, and had to leave. The drive back to my Grandpa's house was long and quiet. When we arrived back there, I felt an empty hallow feeling in the world around me.

I felt the same feeling in my chest, knowing that I was causing Mizu and Yami such devastating pain. Yami never cried. She always wore a tough demeanor, but seeing her so broken…so sad…It killed me.

"The portal back to the Paranormal World will appear over there," Kiyo finally said. I nodded numbly. Yomi walked over to me, and hugged me. I nodded. She let go and we went to where the portal would open, sending us to the Paranormal World, a world that I now called my new home.

I opened my eyes slowly, and groaned. I closed them, again, wishing I could just sleep until Kiyo and Ash returned. It was the last day of The Hollow's Eve Festivities. Meaning the last day I had with Kiyo before she had to leave with Ash for the next few months.

I felt the rustle of feathers near my ear, and suddenly I felt a big wet moist tongue caress my cheek. My eyes shot open, and met a pair of golden ones. I shrieked like a little girl, and jumped back. There was a loud _squawk_ and I gasped at the sound of feathers flapping.

_Kairi!_ _It's only us!_ Kuroyasha and Ryokua's voices said. I blinked and my vision cleared to reveal my large black lion standing near my bed, and Ryokua, now perched on the end of my bed. I sighed and leaned back against the soft pillows of my bed. I looked over and saw Lancer lying on the other end of my bed, snoring softly. I ignored the blush that was making its way across my cheeks. Why was he making me blush!

I reached to Kuroyasha's head, and stroked her head to distract me. She leaned into the gesture, and thought, _it is time for you to awaken. Miss Kiyo will be worried about you._

I nodded, and slowly got up. The aching in my chest reminded me of last night's endeavor. Mizu's face flashed in my mind, and I did my best to push it from my mind.

I quickly dressed, and did my make-up as I had the day before. I pulled my hair into pig-tails, perfecting them without Kiyo's assistance. When I was finished, Lancer's voice made me jump nervously.

"You look lovely, my lady," he said, bowing deeply. I smiled as easily as I could.

"Thank you very much, Lancer." I curtsied before leaving him.

"Young Master? Do you…would you like an escort to the Festival of Hollow's Eve?" he called after me. I froze, feeling another wave of blushing pass off my face. I slowly turned around, and looked at him. He was looking uncomfortable, and worried. I smiled, and for once, it wasn't an awkward smile, or a forced smile; it was a smile that made my inside warm, not nearly as much as Lightning did, but just a twinge of what it felt like.

"Yes, of course, Lancer," I replied. He seemed to relax a little, and he quickly stepped forward, bowed slightly, and held his arm out. I looped mine with his, and allowed him to lead me into the hall.

Axel and Kiyo stood in the hall. She was lecturing him, but smiling. She couldn't seem to quit smiling. Axel was looking at her sheepishly, and seemed embarrassed. She turned at the sound of our approach, looking as pretty as always with her charm. She was dressed just like yesterday.

"Well, Axel, come back to me," she said, and as she did, Axel faded into her. She hugged me, working her way around Lancer's arm. When she pulled back, she eyed our arms, and raised an eyebrow to me.

_Later,_ I promised in her head. She smiled, and turned just to see Yoru and Yomi step out of their rooms. Yoru was wearing her same outfit, and Yomi was in her Miku cosplay. I smiled, and nodded to both of them.

"Oh, Kairi…" Yoru snickered, looking between Lancer and me. I blushed, and glared at her. She smirked, and walked on up to us. Standing beside me, she and nudged my arm. I rolled my eyes. Yomi seemed relaxed at the thought; perhaps she thought Lancer would tear me from Lightning? No. Not nearly.

When we arrive in the town around Ash's castle, everyone was in celebration mode. Cheers erupted when Kiyo came into view. She blushed deeply, and Ash soon joined her. He put an arm around her, and kissed her cheek. I smiled, and felt the cute hysterics building in my chest.

The festival passed with Kiyo and Ash being the main attraction of everyone's attention. By the end of the night, I was exhausted, and my heart was heavy. Kiyo was over-whelmed with everything, and soon, she was out of time. They had to leave.

Kiyo hugged everyone she cared about, leaving me to the last, savoring every second of it. I was really going to miss her. When she pulled back, I didn't realize I was crying. She was too and quickly tried to wipe at her tears. I helped her, not bothering with my own. After that, we were all group hugged. I felt as if my heart were ripping, because I knew I was going to miss her to death.

"Bye, guys," she said, sounding stuffy and congested. "I'll see you sooner than you think."

"Bye, Kiyo, we'll miss you!" Yomi said, refusing to cry. Yoru put a hand on Kiyo's shoulder.

"Be careful, big sister," she said, trying to sound epic and wise.

"Bye, best friend…" I whispered, sniffling. She hugged each of us one more time before pulling back, and walking to Ash.

"Ash, you better take care of her," I said, glaring at him. He smiled warmly.

"I will, Guardian Kairi," he replied, sincerely. Night Rider walked towards us from the darkness, leading two horses. Ash helped Kiyo onto a strong looking black mare before mounting a large black stallion that was stronger built than the mare Kiyo was on.

"We will return, Guardian Kairi. Do not fear; for everything will be fine," Ash said, wisely. I nodded, feeling a bit better. Ash nodded to Night Rider. He disappeared back into the darkness before Ash reared the horse back, and they both took off.

I turned to the castle, knowing I wouldn't be able to watch her leave. Instead, I went inside. I didn't respond to Lancer's questions of concern; I lugged my heavy heart to my room, kicked off my converse, and crawled into bed, not even caring to get undressed, or take my make-up off.

The darkness took over me, and as it did, I knew it was going to be the longest few months in my life.

11


	18. Routine

_**~Chapter Seventeen: Routine~**_

The following week was a hectic one. Things were disorganized, and Fear was left in charge of the castle. Ash had requested Yomi be put in etiquette classes, and also be trained to be a proper second-in-command for Kiyo.

Ash had requested Yoru be put in Guardian Training with me, but not assigned a special sensei like Guardian Haru. Yoru kinda just tagged along with me as things tried to calm down and relax.

Lancer kept his distance from me when he could, and it confused me. _Did_ he have feelings for me? And if he really did, why the heck was he acting like this? He never seemed to be happy anymore, no matter what I did for him. It kinda worried me. Was he getting sick? Was he alright?

These questions eluded their answers quite well. I never really had the time to think about these questions anyways. Guardian Training was in full swing again, the day after Kiyo and Ash left.

Meaning Yoru and I had to get up the morning afterwards, and go train for the whole day. When I woke up that next morning after Kiyo left, all I wanted to do was go back to sleep, not to wake up until Kiyo came back. But that was wishful thinking on my part. That was impossible to do.

So I had to drag myself out of bed, and make myself get dressed in my usual training outfit. Yoru had been given one like mine, but was black and white rather than pink as mine was. She also wore combat boots, and leg warmers, almost like leggings they were so thin. She had on arm warmers, and had her newly dyed black hair tied back in a bun.

We nodded a quick agreement, and went off to the grounds. Yomi was with Rath, learning about her new schedule around the castle. We arrived down in the Training grounds a bit earlier than usual, but was soon joined by Ren, a face I hadn't seen in awhile considering Guardian Training had been put off for the Hollow's Eve Festivities.

His dark hair fell in his eyes like usual as he approached, looked up at us, then just turned away. "You're welcome, Ren!" I snapped. He had never thanked me for saving his life before. Hanashi had gotten him really bad, and mauled him up terribly. He was lucky he was alive.

He glared at me, turned, and said, "Thank you ever so much for making me seem like a pathetic child to the entire castle." His voice was thick with bitter sarcasm. Yoru looked at me a bit surprised by Ren's outburst.

"What the hell, Ren? I'm being serious, dude; you would have died if I hadn't told Lancer to take you back to the castle. Don't try and be noble," I snapped.

"Every person can have brawn, but it takes brain to put the brawn to correct use," Yoru said, wisely. Ren scowled at us.

"Shut up, Yoru! You weren't like that in the Human World!" Ren shouted, and then fell silent, quickly. My face flushed, and I realized he had slipped up. Yoru's eyes slanted into a glare, and Shiroyasha was at his throat in the blink of an eye.

"Who are you?" she demanded harshly. Ren gasped in shock, and didn't have the chance to summon Laila.

"You know me," he said, sounding a bit strained, "Because I'm from the Human World."

"Who?" she hissed, glaring.

"Oh my gosh! It's Axton!" Yomi's voice squeaked. I slowly turned to see Yomi walking across the grounds. Ren's eyes widened, and he quickly blushed.

"What?" Yoru asked, looking to Yomi. Her eyes were wide as well, and she looked absolutely disgusted. She stormed forward, and drew her fist back. Shiroyasha disappeared just in time for Yomi's hand to collide with Ren's face. He fell backwards.

"What the hell!" Ren gasped, looking up from his lower position.

"What are you doing here? Are you following me? What do you want?" she yelled at him.

"I wish to be your Guardian, Kiyomi," he said after a long moment, and I felt us both snap.

"I already told you, she's my protectant!" I shouted at the same time Yomi shouted, "I already have a Guardian, and she's perfect enough for me!"

Ren smirked, and got on one knee, despite Yomi shouting at him. "I am in your dept forever, Kiyomi."

Yomi blushed, and kicked him in the chest, and sent him backwards. "I don't want you as my Guardian, Kairi's my Guardian!" she shouted again as he landed on the ground. "What right do you have to come up and decide that you can replace something that could never be lost? I am not your property; you can't make decisions about or for me!"

Ren's face fell and its expression changed to need. "Just please…" he pleaded taking one of her hands.

"No!" she shouted ripping it away almost instantly. Anger flared through me. I wanted to take him down right then and there and I would have, if Negative hadn't had came into my view. A sly smile spread across my face at the thought of what he might do to Ren. Yomi was still in front of Ren, while Negative stepped a few feet behind him.

I looked at Negative's unnerving expression and I had a feeling I knew what was going to happen. "What's going on?" he asked, sorta menacingly while he looked at Ren in front of Yomi.

"Harassment!" she yelled in anger as she slapped Ren across the face. That's all Negative needed to hear. He ran up as fast as lightning to Ren as he stumbled back from Yomi's slap, and just as he was about to fall down, kicked him in the back.

I watched as Ren flew up a few good feet in the air, and then crashing back down to the ground. Yomi ran to Negative and he wrapped his arms around her. Yoru glared at Ren from beside me as Negative began to speak.

"She said she doesn't want you as her Guardian, and I approve of Kairi way more than I do you." Yomi smiled up at Negative and wrapped her arms around him. "Oh, and one more thing…She's _my_ Yomi."

Ren stood up and glared. "This isn't over," he snapped at Negative.

"Oh, I do believe it is," Negative said, pulling Yomi closer.

"We'll see," Ren prompted. I glared at him and cracked my knuckles. Yoru death glared him. Negative turned Yomi so she was facing him, gently lifted her chin, and kissed her! Right in front of Ren. I smirked as Ren's mouth dropped open in surprise.

At first, Yomi was very surprised, but she soon fell right into the step of things. Negative pulled her close, and tightened his grip around Yomi. I felt like I was intruding on their moment.

Ren began to storm away, but before he got out of ear-shot, I called, "I told you, Ren; I'm her Guardian. And it will not change."

Negative had pulled away, and was asking if Yomi was okay. She nodded quickly and murmured a 'thank you' for coming to back her up.

"That boy is _so_ ungrateful…" I growled (Humanish, of course.) Yoru shook her head in disapproval, and sighed long.

"We will leave you, now, Yoru and Kairi," Negative said, nodding to both of us. Yomi was flushed, and was smiling that goofy smile you can never wipe of your face.

"Okay, you love birds," Yoru joked. "See you guys later."

"Bye, Yomi. Bye, Negative," I called as they turned to leave. As they left, other Guardian-in-trainings began to show up for training. Ren also reluctantly returned. Soon, we were joined by Rath and Guardian Haru.

"Run the track ten times today. Run two, walk one. You have one hour to get it done. Go!" Rath said. He sounded a bit drained, which didn't really surprise me considering Ash's entire inner circle was under a lot of pressure.

Yoru and I ran for the track, which didn't really bother me much anymore, considering I had been doing this every day for three months now. This was simple. The running went by extremely quickly, and soon we were stretching our muscles.

After we were finished, Rath told everyone to split of into pairs, and find another pair to go up against; this week we would be learning about double-teaming. At random, Rath assigned each pair to another pair to spar off with.

And guess who Yoru and I were up against? Ren and Raidon; of course. Ryokua was my choice for battle today, this being because I needed to practice with him anyways. Yoru and I smirked at each other, knowing this would be fun. She quickly summoned Shiroyasha, and we watched as Raidon unsheathed a sword while Ren summoned Laila.

"Try to get your opponent into a killing stance, one where you can deliver a fatal blow," Rath explained. When he was finished, he said go, and we all collided.

About four hours later, Yoru and I were laughing at how many times we had kicked Ren and Raidon's asses. We high-fived, and went up to our rooms to clean up for lunch.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, and I didn't see Ren around at all. Negative had probably gotten to him, which made me smile. He was an inconsiderate little brat. The reason Yomi hated him so much was because in the Human World, he has pressured her to date him, and she didn't want to. He had been desperate, almost obsessive, and it had definitely brought the protective side of me out. I hadn't liked him at all.

When it was finally time to collapse in my bed, I was relieved to have the room to myself. I needed to let out some of my emotions by writing in my diary. Lancer was the only exception to the room being mine. Kuroyasha and Ryokua were inside of me, but I knew how Lancer hated being cramped inside my head.

I picked up my pin, and quickly jotted down the day's events.

_November 2, 2010, Tuesday, After Dinner_

_My Room, Paranormal World; Ash's Castle_

_Dear Diary,_

_Kiyo has now left. The Festivities are gone, and I stand, waiting for Kiyo to return soon. She won't be home for another three months. Until then, Kiyomi is taking the proper courses to become a better second-in-command for Kiyo. Things are really hectic, and I know security is at its heights right now. That means I won't be seeing Lightning for awhile…I must tell you about Rufus and Archer! During the first day of Hollow's Eve, Yoru, Yomi, Kiyo, and I were assaulted by these dark creatures. Yoru and I went to investigate and were attacked by them. They were suddenly gone, leaving Yoru and I dumbfounded. And alone with two lone figures that turned out to be Archer and Rufus! Yes, Archer and Rufus, the two of my close friends that we thought had both died! But they aren't! Oh gosh, I didn't realize how late is. I should go. I'll explain everything in better detail tomorrow._

_Shugo Kairi Fatewin_

Satisfied and drowsy, I put the diary on the nightstand and leaned back on my pillow. As if instantly, I was sucked into a dream.

_ Running through a meadow…looking around, and seeing him. The one and only, my dearest love that I have. He is standing in the middle, watching me serenely. I towards him, and jump into his arms. He spins me around, pulling me close to him. I feel complete, and whole._

_ But this man does not look like My Lightning. He has teal hair, and soulful grey eyes. His skin adorns dark tattoos, and they make him look like he's been through too much. His ear is gauged, and he has a lip ring. On the outside, he looks tough, but I can see through the surface, just by looking in his eyes. He is kind, and gentle, caring and truthful._

_ And his name is Fai._

When I woke up, surprised, it was time for Guardian Training to start. Yoru was just coming through the door in her training outfit with her hair pinned back in a bun. Her expression changed from normal to a bit worried.

"Kairi, are you alright?" she asked, walking farther into the room. I blinked, and nodded. The room was still dark and the fire embers were all that were lighting the room. I flicked my wrist, and the fire burst to life so I could see her better.

"Is it…Am I late?" I asked, feeling a bit nervous, and getting ready to jump out of bed.

"No, no, I'm just really early. I woke to a strange feeling, and decided to check on you. Are you alright?" she questioned again.

"Yea, I just had a strange dream. I'm fine," I said, sitting up. The name of the boy in the dream rang in my ears, as if the dream had actually spoken it aloud. _Fai._ Why did the name ring a bell? I thought long and hard without a conclusion and was soon being questioned by Yoru again.

"What was the dream about?" she asked, looking a bit concerned. I shrugged.

"It's hard to explain…do you know anyone named Fai?" I asked, still in a disoriented state of mind from the dream.

Yoru thought for awhile, but slowly shook her head. "No…not that I can ever remember," she said after awhile.

I shrugged it off, stretched, and stood. "Is there a particular reason?" she asked, as I walked towards the wardrobe. I opened up the doors to it, and pulled out my pink training outfit.

"My dream was about a boy. He was in a meadow, and he seemed to be waiting for me. When he saw me, and I saw him, he wrapped me in his arms. He spun me around and held me close. In the dream, there was a voice that told me his name was Fai." I whispered this, feeling as if saying might help it all make sense.

"Hmm, strange. You should probably get dressed, by the way," she added. I nodded, and quickly changed, as she averted her eyes to something else in the room. I followed her gaze as soon as I was fully dressed, and was surprised to find Lancer on the couch in front of the fireplace, sleeping.

"You make him sleep on the couch?" Yoru asked, sounding surprised.

"No, he usually sleeps with me on my bed," I said slowly, sounding a bit confused.

"Huh. Well I make Archer sleep on the couch when we're alone, but I wouldn't expect you to do that to him," she said, as if it were obvious. I gave her a questioning look as I collected my hair and pinned it together in a pony-tail holder.

"What do you mean?" I asked, feeling confused by her analysis.

"Come on, Kairi, it's obvious that you like Lancer," Yoru said before laughing. I blush spread across my face. I shook my head, and walked towards the door.

Yoru laughed as we walked down the hall. "No, I really don't," I said. _Did I?_ A voice in my head questioned. I didn't say anything back to the voice. Instead, I continued for Yoru. "He likes me, not the other way around."

Yoru looked a bit surprised, but said nothing. We were soon outside in the grounds. The sun was hiding and the world was dark as we walked towards the Training courtyard. Without any warning, Yomi popped up from a bush. I jumped, and Yoru laughed.

"What are you doing?" I hissed, clutching my heart in surprise. She laughed, and stepped forward.

"I was waiting to do that." She smirked, and stuck her hand out for Yoru to high-five it. I rolled my eyes, and took a deep breath.

"Nice, Yomi," Yoru laughed. I shook my head, and continued on towards the place we usually met for Guardian Training.

Yomi groaned, and I turned to see what the problem was. She had stopped walking, and was looking towards the place we usually train. "I really don't feel like dealing with Ren. I'm going to go find Negative."

"That's fine, Yomi. I don't want you here when you see him get his ass kicked, anyways," I said serenely. She glared at me for the use of language before turning to hug Yoru.

"I'll see you both at lunch!" she called, as she walked into the castle. Yoru and I exchanged glances before walking towards a very long start of the day.

Yomi's Point of View

I sighed as I walked back inside. If Ren hadn't of been out there, I would be with Kairi and Yoru today. But no, he just had to show his darn face…I narrowed my eyes as I walked through the halls towards Negative's bedroom.

His room was on the same floor as Ashu-Niisama's room, only a few doors past it. When I got there, I knocked three times, and waited. When there was no answer, I sighed. He must have been still sleeping.

I walked downstairs, and decided to get some breakfast. When I went down there, I saw my new Vampire friend, Grace-Lilly. Kairi's friend, Misula had been her Guardian, and she had been having it hard lately. She was also in my etiquette classes, and she was really nice to me.

I walked over, and sat beside her. She looked up, and smiled warmly at me. "Hello, Lady Kiyomi," she greeted in her English accent.

I smiled, and said, "Hello, Lady Grace-Lilly. How have you been?"

She sighed, and gave a small shrug. "I've been trying to get my mind off of Misula. They've given me a replacement Guardian. Her name is Iria Azarath. She's skilled, and completely trained. But she isn't my Misula."

"I'm sorry to hear you are grieving, Lady Grace-Lilly," I said, feeling truly epithetic towards her. I tried to imagine myself losing Kairi, but only came to a dreadful feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had to remind myself Kairi was in the training grounds, and not truly gone forever.

"Please, call me Lilly. No need to be formal, considering we are friends," Grace-Lilly said with a small smile.

"You can call me Yomi," I said, automatically. Her smile grew and we laughed. Suddenly, a young man came up, and bowed to me.

"Lady Kiyomi, would you like anything to eat?" he asked. I smiled after a second.

"Yes, may I have some tea? And a turkey sandwich," I added at the end. The servant nodded quickly, and scampered off. Seconds later, he returned with a silver platter. On the platter, there was a china plate with a turkey sandwich, a silver elegant tea pot, tea cup, sugar and milk holders, and stirring spoon. He sat the platter down, and bowed before leaving.

I smiled mischievously. Yea, I could definitely get used to this.

After eating breakfast, and Lilly saying it was time for her to rest, I stood, and went to my room. When I arrived, I glanced out the window to see the sun peaking over the colored trees of the forest past the town around the castle. The sun was sending golden rays over the trees, grounds, and town. Some of them reached my window, and lit my room up a bit.

"The sun rise is beautiful, is it not?" a familiar warm voice said from behind me. At first it surprised me, but then sent a smile across my face. I turned and took the figure in my arms, happy to have him back to me.

"Negative…" I breathed. He smiled, and picked me up. He spun me once, and set me back on the ground before kissing my forehead.

"My dearest Kiyomi," he said, simply. I smiled, unable to hide the blush that was spreading across my cheeks.

"I love it, my wonderful Negative," I breathed. He smiled, and walked me out of the room. We roamed the castle for a while, visiting Rath and Fear, and seeing if we could help with their hectic schedules. When we couldn't be of any help, we decided it was time to go back to my room.

Negative kept his arm around my waist as we walked down the main east wing corridor. He opened the door and allowed to go in first. When inside my room, I went to my mirror. After combing through my hair and deliberating about maybe cutting the dead ends off, I turned to Negative, who was sitting in front of my ornate fireplace.

He sighed heavily, and looked to me. "Is something on your mind?" I questioned, a bit concerned. I walked over to him and sat beside him. He put his arm around me, and pulled me close.

"Ash has assigned me a mission," he began and I quickly cut him off.

"Negative, no! Not another one! I almost lost you last time…I can't go through that again," I said, clutching on his shirt with a tight grip.

"Calm down, my lovely Yomi. I'll have Nightmare with me. We will be okay. And it will only last a day. I shall return to you by tomorrow at this time," Negative vowed. I sighed, still not comfortable with the thought of him gone. "Don't worry," he said, lightly. He kissed my forehead. "The only thing I'm worried about it Ren." He said this in disgust.

"You don't have to," I said, automatically.

"I trust you, don't worry. It's him I don't trust," he said, stroking my cheek. I smiled and shrugged.

"I can take care of him," I promised. Negative nodded and stood, pulling me up with him. He kissed me fervently before promising to return very soon.

When he left, I went to my wardrobe and pulled out a pair of skinny-jeans. I changed, slipped on a pair of flats, and walked outside into the hallway. I walked down into the gardens and took in the view.

Kairi had seen Lightning just before the Hollow's Eve Festivals, but not since then. This and the fact that Kairi and Lancer had been kinda close lately gave me a sense of relief. Lightning never took this long to check on her. Maybe he had given up on trying.

As if thinking of him summoned him, I heard his approach and felt his presence. I jumped forward, turning in the air, daggers summoned. "Miss Kiyomi, I was merely wondering where Kairi was," he said, sincerely, putting his hands up.

"Don't sneak up on me," I said icily.

"My apologies miss," he said bowing. This surprised me. I quickly stepped back.

"That isn't necessary," I said as he rose from the bow.

"Ah, but it is. You are close to my Kairi and that makes you very honorable," Lightning said. "Is she near?"

"Guardian Training," I said, automatically. His face fell.

"Oh. I have forgotten she trains during the week. I am sorry," he nodded towards me and turned to leave.

"I'll tell her you came by," I called. He turned back and smiled for the first time I'd ever seen.

"Thank you, Kiyomi," he said, before disappearing into the bushes. I allowed Judgment and Forgiveness to return to me. I turned back to the path I was walking, passing exotic plants and beautiful flowers that would probably disappear really soon. I came upon the fountain, and smiled, remembering a time when Negative had taken me here to just hold me and tell me how beautiful I was.

"Kiyomi, an unexpected voice said. The sound of the voice was Ren. I slowly turned. I glared at him and then turned back around and walked quickly away to a new section of the garden. I could hear him following behind me. "Kiyomi, listen, I," but I cut him off.

"What do you want?" I growled through clenched teeth. I began to walk at an even quicker pace, but heard him speed up as well. This was making me very angry.

"Who was that yesterday?" he asked. I growled and continued to walk ahead. "Why did…"

"Will you just shut up and go away! I don't like you, at all, I have a boyfriend, and Kairi is my Guardian; case closed!"

He stepped back a few feet, and I stood there, death glaring him until he finally got the message and began to walk away. Just as he was almost out at sight, he turned around one last time. I crossed my arms and continued to glare at him. I mentally laughed at the pleading look on his face, but my expression never changed.

He looked as if he was hoping I'd say something before he left, but I just turned around and continued to head down the path.

_I think that's the last of him,_ I thought to myself. I stopped in the middle of the path after I had walked a little ways down a hill and began to wonder what I was going to do with my day.

It was kinda like I had a free day today to do anything really. I didn't have etiquette classes until tomorrow, so I was free. I could go watch Kairi and Yoru train, or I could explore the castle a little. I decided to go get some food, and then head out to watch Kairi and Yoru train for a little while. I got two turkey sandwiches and went to the Training Grounds.

When I got there, I saw Yoru and Kairi laughing. "Hey guys," I said, casually. I found a bench to sit on. I examined the sandwich to find that it had mayonnaise on it. "No!" I almost screamed as Yoru and Kairi gave me questioning looks, before realizing why I screamed. They began to laugh.

"Come on, Yomi, it's just mayonnaise," Kairi said between bursts of laughter.

"Yea, icky nasty mayonnaise. I don't like it either!" Yoru added disgusted.

"Thank you, Yoru!" I said sitting down the first sandwich and picking up the other one. "At least this one doesn't have mayonnaise."

"Are you just going to leave that there?" Kairi questioned, eyeing the sandwich.

"No, Kairi, I'm going to take it back eventually, gosh!" I replied before biting into the sandwich. As if on cue, an ant the size of a medium-sized dog came up onto the bench, lifted the mayonnaise filled sandwich on its back, and carried it off.

I knew all three of our eyes were wide with shock. "Or, you know, the _giant ant_ could take it!" I exclaimed. We all watched it carry the sandwich out of sight, speechless.

"Am I the only one that just saw that?" Kairi whispered. I shook my head slowly, and looked back at Yoru who was looking at where the ant had just been.

"Just think, Kairi, if that's how big the ants are, think of how big the spiders are," Yoru said after a moment. Kairi squealed, and shuddered like she was convulsing.

"Back to training, Crescentworth, Fatewin," a girl Guardian called. They both gave her apologetic looks before jogging back off to train again. For a long time, I watched Kairi and Yoru train while they spared, until I decided to go back and explore the castle a little.

I walked through the halls, peeking in open doors, and looking through random windows here and there. I reached the throne room, and walked up to the two large royal thrones. The seats were cushioned with fine red velvet and the seats themselves were made of pure gold. The top of each throne were bejeweled with diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and many other stones and crystals I didn't recognize but seemed to just shout royalty.

I reached out to touch the golden chair that must have been Ashu-Niisama's and felt the cool gold under my skin. I ran my hand down the gold and to the soft velvet cushioning.

"Lady Kiyomi?" A voice said from behind me. I jumped in shock, and quickly jerked my hand from the chair.

"Uh, y-yea, uh hi there," I stuttered, facing the man I had seen around the castle, but never really was introduced to. I do believe his name was Tai…

"Yes, are you alright?" he questioned.

"Yea, of course, just, you know, looking at the tapestries," I said, looking up at them, hoping not to seem suspicious.

The man laughed, and stepped farther into the room. "You know, it's okay to touch them, especially if you're as close to Lord Ash as you, Lady Kairi, and Lady Yoru are to him," he said.

"Uh…oh, right, ha," I laughed awkwardly. "Sorry about that…" He chuckled at my awkward mood.

"My name is Tai. I'm in Lord Ash's inner circle," he explained. I smiled and nodded respectfully.

"Ah, I know you. You and your sister are the ones that gave my Guardian her Insignia," I commented. He nodded, and politely smiled. "Well, it's nice to meet you." I put my hand out and he closed the distance, shaking it firmly.

"Yes, well, I must go. I'm very busy, and Fear is in great need of my assistance. I'll see you around, Lady Kiyomi," he said, nodding again before turning to leave. After that encounter, I decided to just hang around the garden (far away from where Ren encountered me earlier today.)

The day passed, and soon I was cozy in my bed, falling asleep with thoughts of my wonderful Negative.

Kairi's Point of View

Morning came, and I found myself wrapped in Lancer's arms. Again. I twitched, knowing this was going way too far. One day, he was ignoring me, and the next he was all over me. I groaned, and just allowed him to hold me.

He was sleeping deeply, much too peacefully to wake him up. When Yoru came in, she looked surprised and wide-eyed. I blushed, and glared at her. She shrugged innocently, and I quickly unfolded myself from Lancer's arms. I got up and got dressed, not really talking to Yoru until we got outside of the room.

She nudged me, and wiggled her eyebrows. I shook my head, mock glaring at her and punching her arm playfully. The next few months would be long ones, I could already feel that.


	19. Exposure

_**~Chapter Eighteen: Exposure~**_

A whole month had passed, things had settled down. I hadn't heard anything from Kiyo, and was tempted at times to just go into her head and see if she was okay. But of course, I didn't want to invade her privacy with Ashu-Niisama.

Days passed slowly, and Yoru and I became closer (if that's even possible.) We spent more time together, and with Yomi than we had in awhile, because we actually just had time to do what we wanted.

Things seemed to be calm, and everything seemed to be at peace. For now.

Lightning's Point of View

"Lightning, why don't you go spend the day with Midnight? I relieve you of your duties," Master Elliot said. I ground my teeth together in frustration.

"No, it is fine, Master, I do not need a break from my duties. I am well rested, and feel ready for anything," I stated calmly.

Master Elliot glared. "Nonsense. Go spend the day with your fiancée and give yourself a break." The word 'fiancée' made me cringe. But of course, I couldn't defy him.

I bowed respectfully, and said, "Of course, Master. You are probably right. I do need a day off."

"Then so be it. I am not in a very happy mood at the moment, and would like to be left alone," Master Elliot said, waving his hand. I quickly nodded, and left the room, enjoying the idea that was already forming in my mind.

"What do you mean you have to work today?" Midnight said, angrily. "Master told me we were both off."

"Midnight, go be with Trace then, because I _do_ have duties that I must attend to," I snapped. She glared at me before turning away.

"Lightning, I do not enjoy this engagement just as much as you. I do not love you, I love Trace. You of all people should know that. The reason I go along with it is so that I _don't_ get hurled into the wall again! He broke my ribs, which already happens enough without his help," she hissed.

I shook my head, disgusted that she would actually play the 'abused card.' "It isn't my fault your precious almighty Trace abuses you, and it is not my fault that you're a shallow whore," I spat. Midnight turned back to me, looking offended. I glared, and said, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have business to attend to." I turned, and began to walk out of her room.

"You…I hate you, Lightning!" she shouted as I opened the door.

"Good, because I hate you, too," I muttered, walking out the door, and closing it behind me. I quickly left the hall her bedroom resided in, and opened a portal to the Paranormal World. I was definitely going to see My Kairi.

When I arrived in the Paranormal World, I took off running towards the castle. Getting in and staying undetected was always the hardest part of visiting Kairi. She was usually taking her break from Guardian Training in the Gardens at this time, so I quickly made a veil around myself as I approached the walls towering above me, separating the castle and the town.

I touched the side of the wall, and created a portal. I slid in, coming out on the other side. The portal disappeared, and I hunkered down in the bushes to wait for Kairi.

I didn't have to wait long; sometimes I wonder if she has a sensor that told her when I was here. She came walking by in her Training outfit. I smiled, and stepped out of the bushes.

At first she didn't notice me, so I took the opportunity to sneak up behind her. I then wrapped her in my arms, put my hand over her mouth and eyes, and whispered, "Boo," right near her neck.

She gasped, and struggled for a second, before slowly relaxing as she realized it was me. I moved my hand from her mouth, still covering her eyes. "Gosh, don't you _ever_ scare me like that again! I almost had a heart attack!" she whispered fiercely. I chuckled.

"Guess who," I breathed in her ear. I could feel her face heat up, and hear her heart beat quicken.

"My Lightning?" she said, sounding a bit unsure. I removed my hand from her eyes, and turned her to face me. When she saw me, her face broke into a beautiful smile, one that could make the sun look dull.

"Yes, it is me, my lovely lady," I said, kissing her cheek. She blushed, and leaned into my chest, allowing me to fully wrap my arms around her.

"I left lunch early to have some alone time. I'm glad you came," she whispered. I pulled back some so I could see her face. It showed sadness.

"What has my dearest Kairi upset?" I asked, stroking her cheek.

"I miss Kiyo…" she whispered miserably. She looked helpless in my arms, so all I could do was pick her all the way up, and cradle her in my arms. She sniffled, and for a moment, I thought she was going to cry.

But we were interrupted. I felt her presence before I heard her speak.

"Oh, what I lovely little surprise. Kairi _is_ alive, and we seem to have a little traitor in our midst," I heard her voice say. I immediately tensed, and slowly helped a dumbfounded Kairi to her feet from my arms. I then turned towards the voice, and glared.

Midnight stood there, pale as white in the sun high above. Her dark black cloak and hair that seemed to blend together contrasted deeply with her skin tone. Her blood red eyes flashed dangerously.

Kairi tensed beside me, and I knew she realized the true danger in this. Midnight had found us. That meant she knew Kairi was alive, and not only alive, but with me, her fiancée. Of course Kairi didn't know that part yet…

"Midnight, why are you here?" I demanded. She smiled, showing off her fangs.

"Maybe I was just _a little_ curious of where you were going considering you have a day off, and you were _supposed_ to spend it with me!" she snapped.

"Why would he want to spend a day with a bitch like you?" Kairi piped in. Midnight turned her glare towards her.

"It doesn't matter what _he_ wants, we've been betrothed!" Midnight said, smirking. Kairi's face turned confused before turning to me.

"What?" she whispered. I growled furiously at Midnight, and could feel my fangs begin to grow.

"Leave, now, Midnight, and do not speak a word of this," I commanded. Midnight smirked, and stepped forward cockily. She put her pointed finger on her chin in a thoughtful position.

"Now, why ever would I do that?" she questioned as if talking to herself. I growled again. She took another step forward, letting her eyes fall on me, and then Kairi. "You're alive…" she said slowly, letting a sly smile curve her lips.

"Yea, and you won't live to tell the tale if you don't shut the hell up and leave!" Kairi yelled at her.

"So what, is she your puppy now? Do you plan on _loving_ her before you change her, but then beating her like Trace beats me?" Midnight said, icily. Kairi's glare towards Midnight grew.

"Midnight that is _quite_ enough!" I said on the verge of snapping.

"I'm telling Master Elliot!" she declared, and that's all I needed to hear before I snapped completely, and the true Vampire was released inside me.

Kairi's Point of View

I was hurt. Would Lightning really be engaged and not tell me? Would he really change me and use me like Trace uses Midnight?

"I'm telling Master Elliot!" Midnight called shrilly. And my world spun. Before I could process this, before I could plead for her not to tell, Lightning sprang forward, grabbing her by the neck, and clenching it tight. My hand shot to my mouth in shock as he lifted her feet off the ground.

Fear sketched across her face at first then, amusement. "You aren't doing anything I haven't been through before," she managed to say, despite her lack of oxygen.

She kicked wildly, and landed a blow to his chest. He dropped her, and slapped her. The sound echoed across the grounds as she flew back and hit the castle wall. Her eyes popped open wide with shock. Lightning took off running towards her, and she quickly recovered, just barely dodging his grip. She darted forward to my right, and U-turned towards me.

Two things happened at this time, both of them being way too fast for me to have comprehended at the moment. Lancer summoned himself, got ready to defend me, just as Lightning automatically grabbed her by the wrist, much too tightly for any Human wrist to be grabbed. I saw Midnight's face crumble in pain as his grip tightened.

"Don't run for my Kairi!" he shouted at her. "She won't be saving you!" He snapped her wrist, and I gasped, stumbling back a step. She cried out, much too loud for someone to not hear.

Lancer backed up slowly, making me back up with him. "Lancer, stop!" I said, fiercely. He glared at me, and bowed.

"Fine then!" Lancer snapped before quickly fading away. I felt bad as soon as he was gone, but knew seeing Lancer would only make things worse on Lightning.

Lightning released Midnight's hand just as she kicked him in the face. I felt my heart pounding crazily. Her face was deadly, despite her deformed looking wrist that seemed to dangle.

"I hate you!" she shouted at him. "And I hope Master Elliot kills you and your stupid family soon!" The look in Lightning's eyes told me she had done it. He had just snapped, and he was going to kill her for it. His hand snaked out and grabbed her throat again.

"Don't you _ever_ bring my family into this!" he growled, furiously. He lifted her off of her feet again, and shook her some.

"You lose control of the Darkness Master Elliot has bestowed upon you. You should never lose control of that," she hissed.

Lightning's grip tightened, and her threw her to the ground. She gasped; a violent sickening crap sounded that made my hands shoot to my ears. A bit of blood came from her mouth. She glared up at Lightning through the fear I could easily see.

"You result in violence to solve your problems," she barely said through a gurgling noise in her throat. "Just like my Master, Trace…"

"I am nothing like your pathetic master, Midnight," Lightning said coldly, slowly moving closer to her. "I won't spare your life."

Midnight attempted to move, and cried out when a crunching noise sounded. I flinched away from the noise, feeling disgusted by the thought of it. Lightning's eyes, the color of crimson blood, stared at Midnight, and I could feel the tension in the air as he stepped closer to her.

"Kairi!" Kiyomi's voice called. I gasped, and quickly turned my head away from the gruesome scene. My eyes widened when I saw Yoru and Yomi quickly approaching the scene. Yoru looked dumbfounded, and confused.

"What the hell…?" she muttered, taking in the scene. I felt my security falling, and I knew Yomi could take care of Yoru while I watched the scene that was continuing to unfold before my eyes.

My head shot back to Lightning and Midnight. He was kneeling down beside her, hand on her throat, whispering to her.

"If you ever threaten me and Kairi, disobey me, or even look at me the wrong way again, I will _kill_ you, despite the consequences for myself. If I ever find you following me again, I will wrap you in silver chains, and burn you until you're begging for your death. And even then, I will not relieve you of your pain. After _I_ am done with you it will be Kairi's turn, and let me tell you, you won't stand a chance in the condition you are in when I'm done with you. Do you understand me?"

His voice never rose about that quiet threatening tone, and Midnight barely spoke the words, "Y-yes, of course…" Her voice was crippled by pain as she lay there.

"L-Lightning…?" I whispered. As if my voice had broken through everything that was happening around us, he looked up. His red eyes seemed to hold wild crazy thoughts, but when they landed on me, they seemed to fade; at first to a murky purple, then to their brilliant blue that I love so much.

"Lightning, that's enough," I whispered. I could feel fear begin to grip at my insides. His eyes shot to Yoru and Yomi, both standing behind me, looking as if they had just seen a train run through the castle wall.

"Damn it," he whispered, before grabbing Midnight broken wrist, and fading into a portal.

I slowly turned to face Yomi and Yoru's confused and utterly shocked faces. They both glanced from me, to the spot where Midnight and Lightning had had their spar, then back again.

"Kairi," Yomi began. "What happened?" Before I knew it, I was sobbing. Why was I sobbing? What was wrong with me? I didn't know what was going on around me until Yoru came into focus because everything else was blurred. My body along with my senses was all gone, except for Yoru in my field of vision.

Suddenly, as if it had all been a dream, I sat upright in a bed. I looked around to find Yomi and Yoru sitting beside the bed. It was a big one, not nearly as big as the ones we had in our rooms, maybe only a double bed.

"Kairi," Yomi said, standing. She looked at Yoru, who was watching me calmly.

"What happened?" I whispered.

"That's what we have to ask you," she said. I nodded slowly, and thought back to what had happened in the garden.

"I was in the garden…" I whispered. "During lunch…And," but I immediately stopped there, and my eyes shot to Yoru. Yomi shook her head.

"Don't worry, she already knows," she said, calmly.

"Who all knows?" I said, feeling panic twisting through me like a snake.

"Only Yoru and me," she said. I nodded slowly and continued. I told them the whole story of how Midnight had followed Lightning, and how Lightning had gotten really mad, and upset when Midnight said she was going to tell Elliot.

"Well, if you ask me…I think the bitch – excuse my language Yomi – deserved it," Yoru said, sounding a bit pissed off.

"Yea, but…I didn't know Lightning could be so harsh," I whispered.

"Of course he can. You remember the first time you fought with him? When he wasn't pretending to fight you, he was actually following orders? That wasn't nice, and it wasn't gentle either," Yomi said.

"I know," I finally said, miserably. "And Lancer's pissed at me again because I didn't let him protect me."

"Lancer is your servant; he'll learn that what's best for you is what you make it," Yoru said wisely. I smiled a little, and sighed.

"What about Guardian Training?" I asked.

"Yomi got us both excused from it," Yoru said simply. I looked to Yomi, kinda feeling a bit suspicious. She shrugged, and smiled.

"What? I'm Kiyo's second-in-command-in-training; I can pull some strings." Yoru and I both laughed. Knowing our Yomi.

The rest of the day passed in fear for me. I was too worried to think clearly, so the three of us stayed inside all day, wandering around, and talking about the most random of things. I couldn't stop thinking of the possibility of Midnight slipping up and telling someone about Lightning and me. I guess I was being paranoid.

Lightning's Point of View

I carried Midnight back to the castle, knowing she would stick to our plan after what I did to her. When we got to the castle, I immediately sought out Trace. He was the one that looked over Midnight considering he was her Maker.

I found him in the courtyard, yelling commands to a bunch of Shape-shifters. When he saw Midnight, he automatically took her and demanded, "What happened to her?"

"We were together in the Paranormal World. We were only being together, Trace," I whispered, making myself to sound upset.

"What happened?" he demanded again. Midnight whimpered.

"I turned my back for only a second and it happened," I whispered.

Midnight put her arm around Trace's neck as if desperate to hold on. She whispered, "It was Thunder he d-did this to me…"

Good, she was playing along. It would have been unwise of her to not after what I had done to her. I didn't even have to compel her; she was willing to do anything I asked of her.

"Damn it!" Trace hissed, feeling his prodigy's pain. He barked a few more commands to the Shape-shifters before turning towards the castle with Midnight limp in his arms. I followed, knowing I had prevailed in keeping her silent.

7


	20. Return

_**~Chapter Nineteen: Return~**_

Kiyo's Point of View

The darkness around us was quiet and unmoving. My horse, Dusk, sighed heavily and shifted her weight below me. Ash gave Night Runner, his own horse, a small kick, sending him walking forward.

I followed him, still seeing nothing. "What are we looking for, Ash?" I whispered. He turned a warm smile to me, and it made me blush.

"You'll see soon, my love," he said, continuing forward. It was only the first few days we had been gone, and we had had to ride a long way. This was our first stop before we made it to the first town where we would be staying for a week.

As we walked forwards, the bright full moon seemed to glisten on something ahead. We continued until I realized what I was seeing. The sound of moving water caught my attention.

In front of me, a large dark pool of water lay with ripples disrupting the clear reflection of the sky. My mouth fell open in shock. Ash chuckled, and dismounted his horse. He walked to my side, and helped me down, too.

We stepped to the edge of the dark water, and looked out across the smooth surface. I saw figures in the water, some on rocks, and some with their torso and above sticking out of the water.

This confused me, and as we walked around the edge of the water, the figures became clearer, and soon I realized what they were.

A girl with light blonde hair, almost white, glanced up at us as we approached. Her face lit up in a smile, and she quickly bowed. "Lord Ash! You've come to visit!" her soft voice broke the silence.

"Mercy, the Aquarius," Ash said, smiling. I looked up at Ash, and back down at the girl named Mercy. She swam to the edge of the pool of water, and hopped out onto a rock. My mouth dropped open again when my assumption was correct.

Instead of having two legs, she had a tail! Like a fish with fins! She was a mermaid. I couldn't believe my eyes. Mercy laughed at my expression.

"This must be the queen, then?" she questioned, pointing to me.

"Yes, this is my dearest love, Kiyo Aeka Everdusk. She is the Queen of the Paranormal World," Ash replied sounding proud. I blushed and rolled my eyes at him.

"Ah, well it's nice to meet you, Lady Kiyo," Mercy laughed. "You didn't bring any of those bogus men of yours, did you?" Mercy's voice turned from sweet, to absolute hatred at the mention of men. My eyes widened.

"I brought them, but they didn't accompany us to meet you. I knew you wouldn't enjoy that," Ash said, chuckling.

"Good…I hate most men, they're so good-for-nothing…" she mumbled under her breath. I couldn't help but laugh. Mercy smiled, and slipped back into the water. "So, you came to show Kiyo the mermen and mermaids, huh?"

"Yes. We're going all around the Paranormal World. She must see her kingdom," Ash said, nudging me. I smiled, before leaning into him. He chuckled. "How are your people, then, Mercy?" Ash asked.

"Very well, actually. I was about to leave for the Sanctuary before you arrived," Mercy said, and this caught my attention. I looked at Ash questioningly. Could _everyone_ make portals?

"You see, Kiyo, this pool has an entrance to the Sanctuary in it. And the same goes for a pool in the Sanctuary; they both lead to the other," Ash explained to me.

"Oh…" I said. Mercy smiled at me.

"You act like I'm going to bite. You don't have to be so shy, silly," she laughed.

"Sorry, I'm just always shy when it comes to meeting new people," I explained.

"I have a friend that told me about her friend named Kiyo that sounded a lot like you. She said that her friend was always shy, but once you got to know her, she was always there for you," Mercy paused as if thinking back. "But, she lived in the Human World."

"I lived in the Human World before I came here. I think I know who your friend is," I said before I could stop myself. "Her name is Yoru?"

"Yes! I know Yoru," Mercy said, sounding a bit excited. I couldn't help but smile.

"She's one of my best friends," I said.

"You should bring her sometime. We could all go swimming together. We have things that can help you breathe underwater. That way, you could come with us to the Sanctuary pool."

"I would enjoy that. That would be really fun," I said.

After that, Mercy and I talked for a good long while. Ash finally said it was time to go, and we had to part ways. I was getting tired anyways.

Night Rider and Thunder stood near our horses where we had left them. They seemed a bit relieved at our sight. Ash helped me mount, and mounted himself. We rode for a long time, and I was soon asleep.

"My dearest love, we are here," I heard Ash whisper. I slowly opened my eyes and found myself in his arms. I blinked, and looked around. It was about sunset, and we were in a street somewhere. Night Rider and Thunder stood near us, as if ready for a fight in a second.

Ash smiled at me, and kissed my forehead before walking into a building. He carried me the whole way, and I found myself drifting in and out of sleep. When I woke up, for good this time, I was extremely surprised to see find myself in a modern day looking hotel room.

I sat up straight, and looked around. I was lying on a large, lush bed with a violet comforter. A large flat screen television was mounted on the wall in front of the bed I was on. Two night stands sat beside each side of the bed, both had lamps on them.

I rolled to the side on the bed, and stood up. "Ash?" I called. His head poked around the corner.

"So you're up?" he chuckled, coming all the way around the corner in a pair a black skinny jeans and no shirt. His hair was wet, as if he had just taken a shower. I could feel myself blushing deeply, and I knew he took pleasure in knowing he could make me blush.

"Hi," I breathed, temporarily forgetting the modern looking room. He laughed before taking me in his arms. I felt very conscious that I was leaning against the hottest guy in all the worlds' chest. He laughed at my thoughts, and pulled back.

"Are you well rested?" he asked. I nodded sheepishly. "Good. We're going to spend the day around the town, and then we're going to come back to the hotel."

"Ash, are we in the Human World?" I asked, looking around the room, feeling utterly confused about my surroundings.

"No, of course not. We're in the Paranormal World. Not all of the Paranormal World is ancient as time itself, silly girl," Ash teased. I blushed again.

"Oh…" I said, laughing awkwardly.

The week we spent together in that town was remarkable. I loved it, and the people loved me. Ash and I spent the entire time together, and I loved every second of it. It was a wonderful experience altogether. When we left the first town, I automatically knew I was going to miss it. But we _were _traveling the whole Paranormal World. I made a mental note to not get too attached to one place.

Between each town, I made more and more friends. I didn't think it was possible for me to love so many people, and to be adored so much by my subjects. I was afraid that they wouldn't like me until I actually met some of them.

And with so much happening, I found it hard to miss Kairi, Yoru, and Yomi. I hardly had time to think, or have moments alone, but when I did, it was usually spent on them. I even thought about going through Kairi's head sometimes, just to see what I'd been missing back home, but I knew that would be invading Kairi's privacy. She hated it when I did that.

One day, on our way to a new town called Zambresia, we were crossing a very large plain. Ash came to a stop. I stopped beside him, and looked in the direction his attention was attracted to.

Night Rider and Thunder stopped on their horses as well. "What's wrong, My Lord?" Thunder said, trotting up to Ash's other side.

"Nothing is wrong, but I wish to show Kiyo something before we continue," Ash said. He ushered Night Runner forward, and I followed. We made our way to a large clump of trees on the edge of the plain. We entered the clump of trees, and dismounted. Ash took my hand and led me through the forest.

We came out in a small meadow with a small pond. At the pond, there was a pure black horse with its tail facing us, bent over and drinking from it. I couldn't tell if it was a mare or a stallion.

I looked closely, and Ash led me closer. The horse's head rose, and I gasped when I saw a large horn protruding from its head. "A unicorn?" I whispered to Ash. He chuckled, and pulled me forward even more.

"You sound surprised," Ash laughed. I looked at him despite him seeming amused.

"Are there dragons, too?" I asked, rhetorically.

"Yes. But I'm not taking you to see them. They aren't controllable, and usually do what they want," he said indifferently. I looked at him for a long while before he said, "What? They are."

I laughed, and shook my head. He pulled me forward towards the unicorn. Upon closer inspections, I could see by the way it was built, the unicorn was a male. He seemed completely at ease with Ash and I near him.

"Hey, Pepper, how are you, boy?" Ash asked, gently petting its shoulder. It neighed gently before sighing. I slowly reached out and pet it.

"Hey, Ash!" a voice called from behind us. I jumped, and pulled my hand back from the unicorn.

Ash turned, and smiled at the girl approaching. She had dark black hair with surging purple streaks running through it. She had violet eyes, and was smiling at Pepper.

"Murosaki Zi," Ash laughed. She waved and came up to us, as if completely comfortable. "I thought you'd be here with the unicorns."

"Yea, I usually am, right?" she said, stroking Pepper. Ash nodded.

"I'd like to introduce you to Kiyo, my lovely queen," Ash said. I held my hand out, and offered her a smile.

"Hi, it's nice to meet you, Kiyo," Murosaki Zi said, taking my hand and smiling a friendly smile.

"The same to you," I replied. Our hands dropped, and she continued.

"You can just call me Zi for short. Murosaki Zi is a bit much to remember, don't you think?" she said, laughing.

"Yea, it kinda is. So, do you live here?" I asked, looking around at the small grotto-like meadow.

"I live in a cottage near here. I stay here with the creatures of this Enchanted Forest. There are lots of different creatures that live here. Pepper is my own personal unicorn," she explained.

"That's awesome," I said, looking around. "What kinds of creatures live here?" I asked.

"Many. Fairies, Elves, Fearies, Feavii, Unicorns, some mermaids, and others; there are many kinds of creatures that reside here," Zi explained. She continued but one of the creatures she mentioned stuck out to me; Feavii.

The name brought a certain sense of knowing to me, but I couldn't place it. I had forgotten where I heard the word. When no memories came to me to support my theory of knowing the word, I shook off the feeling and continued to listen to Zi.

An hour or so seemed to pass as Zi and I began to get closer, and soon I could call her a very close friend. Ash and I had to say our good-byes though. We left the Enchanted Forest and made our way back on track.

Our journey continued as the days turned into weeks, and the weeks turned into months. About halfway through our journey around the Paranormal World, I was beginning to get homesick. I missed my Guardian, and I wished desperately to see her again.

Maybe the only thing that kept me from missing her and loathing about it in my free time was Ash. He began to train me mentally, to use my powers correctly. I _was_ a Phoenix, and I needed to learn how to use my powers. I learned I could use the four main elements; fire, water, earth, and air. In addition to the original four, I could also control spirit. I already knew I could control spirit, but I didn't know how to enhance my gifts as a Phoenix.

Ash held off on teaching me to use the main four, and mostly focused on enhancing my spirit control.

The rest of the months passed, and soon we had circled most of the Paranormal World. I felt much better about being queen, and had never felt more ready to see my best friends before in my life.

As soon as I could see the castle town around my beloved home, I sped Dusk up faster, anxious to be with my Guardian and friends again. The wind whipped around me as I dashed through the streets. The drawbridge was opened just waiting for me to dash through it.

And then I saw them. Kairi was standing near Lancer, her eyes wide with anticipation. Near her, Yomi stood with Negative's arms wrapped around her. Yoru stood next to Rufus and Archer, who were accompanied by the rest of Ash's inner circle.

I dismounted Dusk before she had come to a complete halt, stumbling as I ran for my friends. I was engulfed in Kairi's arms, and spun before Yomi and Yoru joined the hug, too.

A few moments later, I heard Ash approaching on Night Runner. He was chuckling as he dismounted. Night Rider and Thunder rode into the grounds shortly after.

I pulled back from the hug, and allowed Axel to reunite with Archer and Lancer as Night Rider and Fear reunited with a steamy kiss and strong embrace. Even though the morning was young, and the sun was blindly bright, I was worn out, and exhausted. Kairi and Yomi could sense this through our connection.

"Bed time for Kiyo!" Kairi declared. I sighed heavily.

"I just got home though! I missed you guys!" I complained before hugging them again. She laughed as she was squeezed in another group hug.

"I know, but you're _exhausted_," she said, pulling back. I gave her my best please-don't-don't-make-me face. She sighed, and shook her head. "Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you when you're falling asleep all over the place."

I smirked, and high-fived Yomi. Kairi shook her head in defeat and smiled. We all went inside, and talked about nothing in particular. Kairi, Yoru, Yomi and I went off exploring the castle that I had missed so much.

We came to the throne room, joking and laughing the whole way. I walked up to my throne, and sat down, trying to look graceful and majestic. Yea right. I wish I was graceful and majestic.

Kairi and Yomi burst into laughter at my thought, and suddenly the chair beside me was engulfed in flames. I gasped, and jumped out of my chair immediately. Their laughter silenced, and I turned to look at Kairi, guessing she had been the one to set the chair on fire by accident.

She had her hands up in the air. "I didn't do it! I swear!" she said, innocently. I looked back at the chair. Not a single singe mark was left on it. Yomi twitched, and looked around.

"Did…Did I do that?" she asked, seeming to be a little freaked out by it. Kairi glanced at me, and then back at Yomi. She raised her hand, palm up. Fire sprang to life on her palm.

"Come here, Yomi," Kairi called. Yomi stepped towards her, a little hesitant. Yoru came and stood by me, looking curious. "Touch the fire," Kairi told her.

"What? I'm not going to touch that! It'll burn me!" Yomi said, making it sound like Kairi was crazy. Kairi rolled her eyes.

"Yomi, just do it," she said, holding it out to her. Yomi looked at the fire and then looked at Kairi.

"If it burns me, I'm telling you, it's your fault!" Yomi said, shaking her head, as if it were final. She reached out, and the flames slowly licked at Yomi's hand. Her eyes widened. Kairi couldn't help the smile that spread across her face.

When Yomi pulled her hand back, it also held a ball of lively flames. She giggled, and tossed it up and down, playing with it like it was a pet. I walked forward, almost enchanted by the flames Kairi and Yomi held on their palms.

Yoru followed in my wake, apparently curious, too. Kairi let her fire slowly spread across her whole hand, and then up her arm. Then she let it spread across her chest and head, slowly let it engulf her whole body.

"Show off!" Yomi shouted as she let the happy ball of fire bounce in her hand. Kairi laughed, and held out both hands in front of her. All her fire immediately retracted to the center of her palms.

I couldn't help but laugh at the magic I was witnessing in front of me. Yomi and Kairi let both of their fire die before I hugged them both. "Yomi can use fire!" I said happily.

We all laughed at our new discovery. Our group was slowly gaining strengths and weaknesses, growing to be the best that it could be. And now all we were missing were Mizu and Yami.

7


	21. Complete Again

_**~Chapter Twenty: Complete Again~**_

Kairi's Point of View

_January 29, 2011, Saturday, in the morning_

_Yoru's Room, Paranormal World; Ash's Castle_

_Dear Diary,_

_Yomi and I are now training in the arts fire! I'm not the only freak that can control fire! Yes! Ha but anyways…Ashu-Niisama has finally returned, along with Kiyo. Oh how I've missed her! We're supposed to have some kind of Christmas Ball thing coming up because Ash and Kiyo were gone for Christmas, but I'm not sure what I'm going to do for it…Well, I haven't seen Lightning for about…two days? I really miss him. And Lancer…Gosh, I really don't know what to do about him. He seems mad sometimes and depressed at others. Sometimes he's happy, but those days never seemed to last long enough. I worry about him. He never really opens up anymore…Anyways, I should probably go; Yoru is stirring, and we're off to see Ashu-Niisama as soon as everyone is up. Chow!_

_Shugo Kairi Fatewin_

I closed the dairy I had just finished jotting in, and put it on the nightstand. I looked over at Yoru who was now stretching. Yomi had already been up when I woke up. She was in front of her mirror, examining her hair, and trying to decide what she was going to do with it. Might I add, it was ten times longer than when we first came to the Paranormal World. She refused to cut it, and if you ask me, I think she should've gotten the dead ends cut.

Yoru woke completely up, and looked around. She looked over at Archer, Lancer, and Axel, who were all three passed out on the couch from exhaustion. They must have stayed up late last night. Yoru stood, and went to Yomi's side so she could brush through her dark black hair. I decided it was time for Kiyo to wake up.

After a long time of shaking her, and urging her to get up, she finally heaved herself out of bed, looking a wreck. She glared at me through the sleepiness in her eyes.

"What? I knew you'd never wake up without me waking you up," I said, innocently. She shook her head, too tired to say anything, and yawned before finally getting up. All four of us agreed to go to our rooms, get dressed, and then meet in the hallway.

I got dressed quickly, saying a quick hello to Ryokua and Kuroyasha before walking out of the room. I met Yoru, Yomi, and Kiyo in the hallway, and we went to the throne room where Ashu-Niisama had told us to meet him last night.

When we arrived, he was talking to Rath in a relaxed way. Rath was laughing, and seemed to be explaining something to him. When Rath saw us, he said, "Speak of the girls themselves."

Ash turned to see Kiyo, and his face lit up in a warm smile. "My dearest love," he greeted. She blushed, and continued forward into his arms. After their cute embrace, Ash cleared his throat and continued.

"Now, I've summoned you all here to," he began before the doors opened behind us, and in came a flustered looking servant that I'd seen around the dining hall. He ran in and kneeled before Ash.

"My Lord, Nightmare and Clover have returned from the Human World," he said, panting between words. Rath and Ash exchanged glances. "Nightmare reported that Miss Mizu and Miss Yami are both in danger!"

"What?" I demanded as soon as Yomi, Yoru, and Kiyo said the same thing. I felt myself slip into Guardian mode, and stepped towards the servant. "What kind of danger?"

"Miss Kairi," he said, bowing to me then speaking the rest. "Nightmare and Clover didn't say much, but only said it had to do with Trace and Midnight." I ground my teeth together.

"Ashu-Niisama?" I questioned, and without a second thought, he dismissed the servant.

"Yes, don't bother asking, I already know you wish to go to the Human World," he said before I could say anything else. "Yes, you may go, but you will be disguised. You're image will not change. You'll look like you do right now."

"What's the mission?" I asked.

"Get to Mizu and Yami; convince them to come with you to the Paranormal World. If they don't want to…then you must defend them from what the immediately danger is. Then, return to the portal; this must be fast. You can't stay there for a long time or the spell will wear off." Ash explained this slowly, and clearly.

When he was finished, I said, "So is this like a mission…?" I asked, sounding hopeful. I hadn't been on a mission since we had lost Misula, and almost me, too.

"Yes. This is an official mission for each of you. Kairi, Yoru, I trust you in bringing everyone back safely; you both know the basics of being a Guardian by now. Make sure everyone stays safe," Ash said.

"Yes, Ashu-Niisama, sir!" I said, and bowed. When I rose I was smiling because he was smirking in humor. He waved his hand dismissively and a portal appeared behind us.

"Take care. Be careful!" he said. "And take your servants just in case!" He added the last sentence hastily. "You each do not have a heart-to-heart relationship with your servant yet, and will not be able to summon him there unless he goes through the portal physically. So summon them, and then go."

Kiyo, Yoru, and I each did as we were told, and looked to Ashu-Niisama for any last words.

"Have fun and enjoy yourselves while you're there. Don't take too much time, you only have today. You must return to the portal before the stroke of midnight or you won't be able to use the portal. You'll have to go through Kairi's entrance to the Sanctuary. Be careful!" he added the last part while his eyes stayed on Kiyo.

"I'll keep her safe," I promised. He nodded before ushering us into the portal. Lancer, Axel, and Archer held the four of us together as we felt the sensation of falling and falling in an everlasting darkness, until finally we hit the cold, frozen grass.

I gasped, and rolled out of Lancer, Axel, and Archer's circle of arms. I looked around, astonished at how cold, and familiar the place looked. The brittle, dull green grass swayed in the sharp cold breeze that blew my hair back. I shivered in anticipation.

I smiled, realizing how much I missed the brick building that sat near us; my grandpa's house. No cars were parked in the driveway, so no one was home. I stood, and turned to see, Kiyo and Yomi looking around the back yard as well, murmuring about memories we all shared here.

"My lady, shall we?" Lancer asked from near them. I held my hand up for a second, and slowly shook my head.

"No, I want to see my room…" I said, slowly. Yoru looked at me like I was crazy.

"Kairi, you know we can't, and plus, Ash even said we didn't have much time. Your grandpa is probably inside with Carol. You know we can't go in and let them see us. Especially with us looking like this. Not only that but…" Yoru continued on, but I wasn't really paying attention after that; I had turned back to look at the house.

All I could do was look at the house that I had missed so much that it almost brought tears to my eyes. "No one is home; see? There are no cars in the driveway," I said, turning to face her.

Yoru breathed a long deep sigh before, looking at the house. She looked at Kiyo and Yomi who were looking at the house as well. "Fine. Let's go in, but only for a few minutes. We have to find Mizu and Yami," she gave in. I smiled, and hugged her.

"Thank you, Yoru!" I said, before dashing forward. I was surprised when I felt I could run farther in this world than I could last time I had to run. I could judge distances better in familiar places like my house, so I had a better idea of how much endurance I had built up.

I heard Yomi, Yoru, and Kiyo behind me, followed by Lancer, Axel, and Archer. I entered the door that lead into the kitchen; the last door I had touched since I had gone to the Sanctuary.

When I came in, the familiar sense of home consumed me. I looked around, and smiled when I saw nothing had really changed in my months I had been gone. I walked farther into the kitchen, and took a right down the wooden floored hall, and then an immediate left into the marble floored hall with the green rug.

I went up the green carpeted stairs, passing the room full of pink furniture and antiques; a room all my friends and I called the "Pink Room." At the top of the stairs, I turned right, and walked straight for the door to my right. I heard footsteps behind me, and knew it was Kiyo, who was just as anxious as I was.

The door opened, to a dimly lit room that was exactly the same way I had left it. I flipped the light on, and stepped in. Kiyo stayed near me as I looked around. Yomi, Yoru, and the servants hung back in the hall.

I walked over to my made bed with golden sheets and a golden comforter. I softly ran my hand along the comforter from top to bottom several times before turning to my nightstand-dresser. Next to the lamp sat a dusty framed picture. I picked it up, and wiped it free of dust. Above the picture, in multi-colored ink, was written, "M.P.O.P.Y.Ya." and underneath was written, "Mizu, Pure Generations, Ocean Village, Pure Beauty, Yoru, Yami."

The picture was what finished the beauty of the frame. In the same order as the frame listed, each of us stood. Mizu was on the end with her arm around Kiyo's shoulders. Next to Kiyo, I stood with my fake Halloween Scythe, smiling, and making my pose look cute. Beside me, Yomi was in mid laughter, putting an arm around Yoru, and holding squeezing her in a hug. Yami was on Yoru's other side, doing the same.

"I remember this," Kiyo whispered from beside me. "The day we showed Mizu and Yomi the secret trail to the lake." I smiled at the memory, and sat it back down. Other frames were scattered around randomly, some of Kiyo and Yomi, others of me and Yoru. Each one was a little piece of our group.

I turned from all the frames on my nightstand-dresser, and went to my mirror, where many little trinkets sat in random areas. One little jar of sand stood out to me, and I smiled when I remembered where it had come from.

Justuo Yamamotto. I smiled, and shook my head, too many memories chasing each other in my mind to decipher them. Then I remembered something that I had forgotten completely about.

When I dropped to my knees, Kiyo asked, "Are you okay? What's wrong?" I laughed, and shook my head, crawling towards my bed.

"You'll see," I said, as I lift the comforter to reveal the space between my bed and my floor. I reached up into the box-spring and felt the four thin, hard-back books that I was searching for. I grabbed them, and pulled them out of the box-spring.

When I pulled them out, I had gained everyone's curiosity. Yomi and Yoru were standing over me as well as Kiyo. "My diaries," I presented, holding them up. Kiyo took them while I got up, and looked at them in her hands.

"You had them hidden," she laughed, flipping through them. Yoru and Yomi took one for each of them and flipped through them.

After a few more minutes going through my room, and my diaries, we went into the hall where the servants waited. I handed Lancer my diaries, and commanded him to not go through them, or lose them.

We went through the rest of the house, and decided we needed to leave and try to find Yami and Mizu. We knew we couldn't take the gator again, just in case they came home and found it missing.

I also knew we couldn't ride giant lions through the country side either. Sadly, that only left one other option…

With reluctance, I stepped outside with my friends close on my heels. As soon as I stepped outside, I felt the familiar presence and the chill in the air. I sucked in a quick breath and took an involuntary step back. Kiyo seemed to notice as soon as I did, putting Yoru and Yomi on high alert as they, too, felt the strange change in the air around us.

My head snapped to the right, pin-pointing the same white Ronin samurai outfit that had been cloaking the same figure in white for the past several times I'd seen him. He was at the end of the wooden deck we had come out on, closer than usual, and giving me a better look at him.

"That's the guy from before!" Kiyo whispered fiercely. Noticing our stiff positions from inside, our servants came tumbling through the door, and to our sides. Yoru stayed silent for a long time I kept an arm hovering in front of Kiyo and Yomi.

The cloaked white figure slowly raised his right hand, and unsheathed his katana. A growl slipped between Yoru's teeth as she stepped forward. My instincts pushed me forward as well. Our servants moved closer as we prepared for an attack.

Instead of moving towards us, the cloaked figure jumped onto the banister of the deck and into the grass below. I gasped, and watched him disappear and reappear at the very top of the hill next to my grandpa's driveway. He pointed his katana in the direction of the road as if to say, "Get a move on." But in a more epic way, of course.

Yoru and I exchanged unsure glances before he faded, and with him, the heavy chill in the air, and the strong presence that followed him. "Am I the only one that just saw that?" Yomi whispered.

"No, you definitely aren't the only one. But I will say this; we've seen him before." Yoru's words made me remember the time in my dreams he had appeared with the winged angel and the time I saw him right before I went to the Sanctuary.

"Actually, guys…" I whispered, still watching the place he had just been. "I've seen him recently." Yoru and Kiyo turned their surprised and some-what outraged looks on me.

"You saw him again, and you didn't say anything?" Kiyo asked, sounding a bit annoyed, but more concerned than anything. I nodded slowly, and as we began walking, I began explaining.

"My feet are killing me…" Kiyo sighed, as we walked up the road. I groaned, and stopped, motioning for her to come over so I could give her a piggy-back ride. She laughed, and ran forward, jumping onto my back.

I sagged a little under the extra weight, but soon straightened up. We walked _all the way to Mizu's house!_ It took us a good hour or two, and when we finally got there, there were no cars in the driveway.

Kiyo groaned loudly from the top of my back. "Are you serious? Really?"

"Hey, you aren't even walking, little girl!" I panted. She gave me a sympathetic smile before hopping off my back, and patting my shoulder. "You're welcome," I said, sarcastically.

"You didn't give me time to say thank you!" she complained. I laughed before we walked across the yard and stopped at the window we had peeped through during Halloween.

No one sat on the couch like before. I sighed, and leaned against the house for support. "Well, hell. Look at that. That's just our luck," I said, nodding towards the window.

We were about to start towards Yami's house until a sound caught my attention. I turned back around towards the house, and heard it again. I looked to Yoru, who had obviously heard the sound as well.

"Lancer. Archer," Yoru commanded. They both flanked us. Axel stood with Yomi and Kiyo as Yoru and I made our way around the house where we came face to face with a large looming forest.

"Oh, great," Yoru sighed. I groaned, and listened carefully. I heard noises in the forest, like shuffling. I blinked, and knew I should keep Kiyo and Yomi informed.

_Kiyo, Yomi, there's noise coming from the forest behind Mizu's house. We're going to check it out,_ I thought out to them.

I got their immediate responses. _Hey, I'm coming!_ Kiyo shouted in her head.

_Count me in!_ Yomi said as well. I nodded, and looked to Yoru, and then to the trees. She nodded once, and we heard Kiyo, Yomi, and Axel join us from behind. We all crept into the forest, listening for more sounds.

We didn't have to walk for long; soon we saw what had been making the noise. Mizu was standing in a small clearing with Yami behind her. Without thinking, I took off towards them.

They heard my approach and turned. As I became closer, I felt it; Darkness. I screeched to a halt, and backed up automatically, repulsing from the awful feeling the Darkness made in my gut. Kiyo was reacting to the Darkness as well, whimpering as its presence became more noticeable.

"Kairi?" Mizu gasped when she realized who we were. "Is that you?"

"Mizu, get away from there!" I shouted. She looked back at Yami who was looking at us to see if it were true that we were there.

"Midnight is here, and she's using some kind of magic…" Mizu called, and that's when I realized Midnight was the cause of the Darkness. Yoru and I looked to one another before nodding, and taking off towards Mizu and Yami.

Suddenly, Darkness engulfed them both, and their screams pierced the air. Our pace quickened as Midnight stepped into sight. She smiled a twisted smile, and waved her hands, bending each finger in a girly way.

"Hi there, Kairi, Yoru," she said in a sing-song voice. We stopped a few feet from her. Memories of the last time I'd seen her flashed through my mind. I shuddered at her broken form in my mind.

"Release Yami and Mizu. Now," Yoru commanded. Midnight laughed delicately. She looked us up and down.

"Now, why in the name of this world would I do that?" she asked, before turning her smile a little darker, and letting her eyes slant. She grew much less innocent looking within seconds. "I've been really sick lately," she said, staring right at me. "It's had me bed ridden, and I haven't been able to leave for anything."

"Doesn't that sound like fun?" Yoru asked, sarcastically. She glanced at me, very slightly, and the look she gave me told me to play it cool, and act like whatever Midnight said was her own sick little jokes.

"It was," Midnight said, coldly, her face turned blank and then angry. She lifted her arms, and closed her eyes. When they opened, a dark aura was coating her arms, almost like my fire when I used it, except it was black. "You'll pay for everything you've done to me."

Suddenly, the Darkness on her arms flew towards Yoru and me. I gasped, wrapped my arms around Yoru, and turned my back to the Darkness. I felt the cold, dead, awful feeling of it as it wrapped around me, reaching Yoru. I clenched my teeth together to keep from screaming in horror.

"Do you like the feeling of being bound by Darkness?" Midnight asked harshly from somewhere. I couldn't see because of the dark bands of the black aura surrounding us.

"Kairi!" Kiyo and Lancer yelled. I knew Kiyo was scared; Darkness was a Phoenix's greatest weakness, and worst enemy. And yet, she stayed where she was despite the Darkness that could easily kill her. I had to get away from this Darkness.

Kiyo's Point of View

I saw Darkness engulf Yoru and Kairi, and commanded, "Axel, stop Midnight!" Lancer had already darted forward to get Kairi, and before I could tell him to stop, he was engulfed in the Darkness, too.

Archer pulled his arrow back, and let it fly forward towards Midnight. Her hand shot up, just in time to deflect it with even more Darkness. The dreadful feeling of dying in the pit of my stomach only got worse as more Darkness was poured around us.

"Kiyo, stay here with Archer," Yomi said, before taking off to help Axel with Midnight. I took one step back, trying to find out what to do. My Guardian was in trouble, and here I was just watching her be engulfed in that awful Darkness.

Suddenly, Archer gasped, and there was a thump. I gasped and turned around quickly. Trace stood only steps away. I heard a small noise escape my mouth before his face lit up in a warm smile.

"Kiyo, dear girl," he said, stepping closer. My eyes widened in fear, and I stumbled back. My foot caught on a branch and I went falling backwards, towards the ground. I shrieked before arms caught me.

My eyes, that had just been squeezed shut, blinked open to see Trace inches from my face. My mouth dropped open when I saw his eyes weren't their usual blood red, but instead a beautiful forest green.

"Kiyo, I'm not here to hurt you, dear girl," he breathed. My pulse increased, and in that instant, I had never found him so hot in my entire life.

"Trace…" I said, unable to get out of his arms. "What are you doing?"

"Telling you about the past," he said, before placing a hand on my cheek. He slowly moved closer to my face. He pressed his lips to my forehead, and suddenly, the world around me disappeared.

_ "Kiyo, my dearest girl, are you feeling well?" Trace whispers. I smile, and nod, unable to control my actions._

_ "Of course I am, my silly love," I breathe. He wraps me in his arms, and kisses me. I instantly fall into the kiss and our lips move together as one. He pulls back, and smiles gently at me._

_ "I believe you now," he teases. I take his hand in mine, and he walks with me through the quiet forest. My dress barely brushes the ground, and soon he is leading me instead of the other way around._

_ Trace pulls me to an opening in the trees, and ahead of us is a beautiful lake. The fairies flying around us fly out into the open space above the lake. I lean against Trace as they dance in circles around each other, making a beautiful show._

_ "Happy Birthday, my lovely Kiyo," he breathes in my ear. I shudder in pleasure, and smile at him._

_ "Thank you, so much, Trace…" I whisper, and turn my attention back to the fairies. He puts his arms around me, and supports most of my weight. He sings to me as I slowly drift into an unconscious sleep._

_ I hear one thing before my eyes slip closed and I fall into a deep peaceful sleep; Trace whispering, "Sleep in heavenly peace, boku no Kiyo."_

My eyes flashed open, revealing Trace's face, not as close as before. He wasn't holding me in his arms anymore, but he was holding my hand. My free hand reached for my head as I asked, "What was that?"

"A memory. From your past life," he told me. I gasped, and blinked in surprise.

"What? That happened?" I asked, looking Trace up and down. Not much seemed to have changed since the memory. It seemed as if it had just happened.

"Yes, on your seventeenth birthday about one thousand years ago," he explained. More surprise caused me to forget my surroundings. I didn't say anything until I felt even more Darkness begin to pool around me.

I jumped up, immediately, and turned to face the direction the Darkness was coming from, leaving my back to Trace and causing his hand to fall from mine.

His arms were suddenly around my waist, and I gasped. "The Darkness scares you, am I right?" he whispered.

I slowly nodded, searching with my eyes for someone that I cared about. Soon I spotted Axel and Yomi. Yomi was behind Axel as he swung his large ax at Midnight. Trace touched my shoulder, and let his finger trail down my bare arm.

Suddenly, Kairi fell to the ground, Yoru and Lancer falling with her. They were all three panting like crazy. Farther behind them, where Mizu and Yami had been engulfed in Darkness, I saw the both of them fall to the ground, also panting.

"Kairi, are you okay? Is everyone okay?" I shouted, unable to run forward because of Trace's arms.

"They will be fine. They're away from the Darkness," Trace said, calmly. Midnight looked up at me and Trace from the battle, and froze. She shrieked in anger before fading from her place.

I looked at the remnants of the battle before hearing Trace whisper, "I love you, boku no Kiyo, and I think you deserve to know about us."

Then his arms were gone. It took several seconds for my body to register the fact that he wasn't supporting my weight anymore. I fell to my knees, and crawled desperately to Kairi, who, despite her furious panting, wrapped me in her arms protectively.

"Did he hurt you?" she demanded, holding me tightly. I shook my head numbly, still unable to shake the feeling of Darkness around me, entombing me…

"Check Archer, Miss Yoru," Axel called from somewhere. There was shuffling before I heard silence except for Kairi's racing heart next to my ear.

"Get to Mizu and Yami," Kairi called out. I heard Lancer grunt as he stood, and I heard more footsteps. I just allowed Kairi to hold me, and rub my back soothingly. I heard murmuring from Yomi, Mizu, and Yami. I didn't concentrate to hear what exactly they said, but they sounded okay. Soon, Kairi was moving, and helping me to my feet.

I allowed her to lead me through the trees, Yoru, Yomi, Yami, Mizu, and Axel behind us, Archer and Lancer taking the lead. I then remembered the long walk back to Kairi's grandpa's house.

That's all it took before Kairi was heaving me onto her back like on the way to Mizu's house. I didn't complain, but I didn't approve of her lugging me around; it didn't seem fair. The long walk passed slowly, much too slowly for any of us to enjoy. We made small talk on the way, but never saying much. The Darkness seemed to have put us into a numb state of shock.

When we arrived at Kairi's grandpa's house, we were all exhausted, the moon hung in the sky, halfway full. "Put me down, Kairi. You've walked miles with me on your back."

She slowly put me down, and collapsed in the grass, sighing long and deep. I smiled, and said, "Thank you, Shugo Kairi, for being the best Guardian in all the worlds."

She smiled triumphantly, and stood. "I always will be," she vowed. Mizu and Yami both laughed, and we all group hugged. And without another word, or another thought, we walked into the portal, together, and landed in the Paranormal World.

10


	22. Missing Battle

_**~Chapter Twenty-One: Missing Battle~**_

Kairi's Point of View

When we arrived in the Paranormal World, I automatically looked at Yami and Mizu, and gasped at their new appearances.

Mizu had beautiful blue hair that looked like the ocean itself. Her eyes matched the color of her hair, and it looked as if you could see the blue of her eyes moving like waves in the ocean.

"Whoa, Mizu…" I said, unable to hide my smile, but Mizu was too busy looking around at us and at the castle we were now in.

I examined Yami's looks next. She had dark black hair down to a few inches past her shoulder blades. The last two inches were a vibrant scarlet red. Her eyes were a wonderful pale sky blue.

"You look epic, Yami," I said, laughing.

Suddenly, Ash and Rath came into the throne room where we had arrived. I smiled, and gave Ash a deep bow. Mizu and Yami looked at each other, as if looking for guidance. I rose, and shook my head gently and smiled.

"Mizuki Kesumi Nightrain, and Yami Kakure Reignstriker," Rath said, smirking. Yami and Mizu looked at me for guidance, and I nodded slightly, reassuring that I would explain to them that our names changed in the Sanctuary and Paranormal World.

"You've prevailed, Guardian," Ash declared as he looked us up and down. "I want the full details tomorrow, but for now…get some rest. You all did very well. There's a room at the end of the hall your rooms are in. Inside, there are six beds, each accustom to your likings. Rest up, and tomorrow we will celebrate the arrival of Mizu and Yami," Ash declared. Mizu and Yami seemed speechless.

He walked to Kiyo's side, and kissed her forehead. "If you'd like, you can sleep with me, love?" Kiyo blinked, as if she were coming out of a reverie.

"Huh? Oh…Uh, no it's fine, Ash," she said, blushing. "I've missed Mizu and Yami, and I kinda wanted to spend some time with them."

"That's fine, love," Ash said, kindly. He kissed her lips softly, and she melted into the kiss for a good few moments before pulling back. "Call if you need me, dear, alright?"

Kiyo nodded, and smiled at him, still feeling a little light-headed from the kiss. We smiled, and said our good nights to Ashu-Niisama and Rath, who had been standing with him.

I told Lancer he could sleep with me if he wanted too, and Archer was told by Yoru to go to their room with Shiroyasha. Axel would be sleeping with Kiyo. We went to the end of our hall, and opened the door Ashu-Niisama had suggested; and was quite amazed when we saw what lie inside.

Six beds, all perfectly customized to fit each one of us, were lined up together. Mine was in the middle. It had a pink, fluffy comforter, and matching pillows. It was between Yoru's silky black bed, and Kiyo's soft purple bed. Beside Kiyo's bed, was a red with black lace trim that I knew was Yami's. Mizu's bed, which was a lavish blue color that looked like velvet, sat beside Yami's. Beside Yoru's bed was Yomi's light blue bed with green trim.

"I…_love _it here!" Mizu yelled running and jumping into her bed. I laughed, and nudged Kiyo who was giggling at Yami who was nodding, and smirking as she looked around.

"I could get used to this," she said, going and collapsing on her bed. I mimicked Mizu, and canon-balled onto my bed. My muscles grew heavier and I knew I wouldn't be awake for long.

The beds were big enough to hold three people, and soon, Lancer joined me. I was so tired that I didn't even change into pajamas; I let myself fall asleep in my clothes.

We said our good nights and were soon all sleeping, peacefully before a few minutes had passed.

The next morning, I woke up with my arms around Lancer again. Annoyed at myself, I pulled back before looking around. Mizu and Yomi were looking out a window, talking about the seasons, months, and years here in the Paranormal World. Yami was stirring, but soon calmed down once she had gotten comfortable on the soft mattress. I watched as everyone slowly began to wake.

Yoru and Yami woke next, and finally Kiyo. The servants stayed resting, and I just blew it off for them being really tired. When we were all ready and dressed, we went off to find Ashu-Niisama to explain our little adventure.

After explaining everything (and being examined frantically for any eternal wounds from the Darkness), he dismissed us, keeping only Kiyo so they could spend the day together. Yomi, Yoru, and I showed Mizu and Yami around, and showed them the ups and downs of living in Ashu-Niisama's castle.

The day soon ended after lunch, and dinner. We found ourselves in the room we all shared. Mizu was laughing and talking about how much she loved this world. Even Yami was saying she liked it a lot, and Yami had _never_ liked the other worlds. Just then, Lancer walked in and walked to the side of my bed. He kneeled down in honor before his master, and then rose.

"My lady, I'm here to deliver a message from Rufus," he said, meeting my gaze. His eyes said much more than his words that came from his mouth next. "Rufus said he was willing to help Guardian Haru train you, and help to teach you new things that Guardian Haru may not know." I nodded slowly. And then he continued on in my head. _Also, Lightning is in the Gardens, waiting for you, my lady._

I blushed, and nodded, quickly thinking of a reply for what Rufus had told him to tell me. "That would be good. I'd enjoy his help." I stood. "Does he want to see me?" I asked.

Lancer nodded, understanding that I meant Lightning and not Rufus. He bowed, and held his arm out in courtesy so he could lead me from the room. "See ya, Kairi. Don't be too long; tomorrow we have Guardian Training," Yoru called. I was almost one-hundred percent sure she knew I was going to see Lightning, and not Rufus. Ever since she knew she had understood it, despite the wrongness of it all.

Lancer led me from the room, and down into the gardens. He released my arm, and bowed before stepping back; he then faded into me. I looked into the shadows to find Lightning emerging from them.

I smiled, and took off running into his arms. He smiled, and spun me round in a circle once, before setting me down, and kissing my lips. He pulled back, and cradled my face in his hands for a few moments so I could stare into his beautiful blue eyes.

"My love," he greeted, kissing my forehead.

"My hero," I said, leaning into his chest and arms. For a long time he held me like that. Then I told him about Yami and Mizu, and also about how we had to fight Trace and Midnight off to save them from the Human World. He listened intently, commenting every so often about how he wished he could've been there to help me against them, especially Midnight. A sudden loud noise pierced the night air around us.

"Kairi!" I heard a loud call from the window of our room. I gasped, and pushed Lightning and myself into the shadows as light from the window spilled into the Garden Courtyard where we were standing. It was Mizu's voice that had called my name.

I turned and gave Lightning a long, desperate look, before burying my face in his chest. He held me for a few seconds longer before releasing me. He bent to my ear.

"I'll return to you, my love, very soon, and I will make sure you stay unharmed," Lightning whispered. I nodded, and smiled as a blush spread across my cheeks.

"I trust you," I breathed. Mizu called my name out again, and I quickly hugged him before he faded away. I shook my head, wondering how Mizu even knew where I was.

I slipped into the castle door before I was caught, and quickly went up the stairs and into hallway where our rooms were. Lancer appeared before me, and held his arm out for me to take. I did so, and we walked into the room we were all sharing. Everyone looked to the door when we entered.

"I told you she was fine, guys," Kiyo said to Mizu and Yami, who were standing at the window that was now open with the curtains drawn back.

"Well, you know how we are, Kiyo," Mizu said, shutting the window, and letting the curtains fall back. "We just got here, we are paranoid." Kiyo rolled her eyes from her bed and under her covers.

"You were worried about me? Really? Come on, guys, I'm tougher than I used to be," I laughed before turning to Lancer and saying, "Thank you, Lancer." I meant it. I knew he didn't like Lightning much, and despite that, he came and told me he was waiting for me.

"The pleasure is mine, my lady," he said, taking my hand and kissing it. He then released it, and went to my bed. Trying not to blush or show how flattered I was, I went to my bed as well, collapsing onto the soft comforter and sheets.

The door opened, and I quickly looked up to see who was standing there in the door way. Negative was closing the door, a single rose in his hand. He blushed slightly before saying, "May I come in?"

Everyone looked to Yomi who was blushing deeply on her bed. She glanced around nervously before saying, "Of course you can." He smiled, and walked to her bedside. Mizu nudged Kiyo and they both giggled.

Yomi moved to make room for him to sit beside her, and blushed when he did. He handed her the rose, and said, "I just wanted to say how much I love you, and that I wish we had some time alone."

"We can have time alone," she said, taking the rose, and then taking his other hand.

I looked away to give them some privacy. "Lancer, do you have my diaries?" I asked, as if trying to distract myself from the conversation Negative and Yomi were having.

"Yes, of course, they're in your bedroom, my lady," he said, indifferently. He seemed to be in one of those moods where he didn't really care at all, and didn't want to talk about it.

I sighed, and nodded, deciding to talk to Mizu instead. I turned my head towards her, but automatically fell silent when Mizu said, "You two should date." My eyes widened for a split second before the blush slathered itself all over my cheeks.

"What?" I asked, dumbfounded. Yoru busted with laughter, and Kiyo was soon laughing, too.

"I told you I wasn't the only one who saw it, Kairi," Yoru said, after calming her laughter. I glanced at Lancer. He was looking down, but I knew he was blushing. I shook my head, and buried my face in my pillow.

Laughter continued for a few more seconds before everyone just broke into little conversations. I kept my face buried in my pillow, trying my best to sort through my thoughts. Why would I blush about Lancer if I loved Lightning?

I sighed, and before I realized it, I was asleep.

About two weeks passed, meaning it was February 14, 2011. Today was Monday, and the Christmas Ball was this Friday. All week, the Guardians that were in Training didn't have to worry about Training because of the Christmas Ball.

Mizu and Yami fell right into step with the castle life, and we were all soon sleeping in our own separate rooms again. Mizu and Yami shared a room, though, them being newer to the castle than the rest of us. Sometimes we would all sleep in the large room that we could all fit in, but usually not.

I brushed through my long, pink hair that was getting much too long for my liking. Afterwards, I pulled my hair into a messy bun, and put some skinny jeans on. Then I put on a pink sweater, and slipped on my pink converse. It got really cold around the castle during the winter.

"See you later, Lancer, feel free to roam around at your own will," I said to him. He was sitting on my bed, reading a book of some sort.

"Of course, my lady," he said after a second. He seemed to be absorbed in his book, so I smiled, and left the room. In the hall, I found Mizu and Yami chatting with Yomi. They were all three wearing skinny jeans, too.

I looked up the hall just in time to see Kiyo and Yoru step out of Yoru's room. Kiyo seemed to be thanking her for something. I shrugged it off, and greeted them with hugs.

"Where to, Kiyo?" I asked, as we walked toward the other three who were still conversing quietly to themselves.

"Well, Ash wanted to talk to us, but he isn't in the throne room. He's in the Dining Hall," Kiyo explained. I nodded slowly, wondering why he would be there so early in the morning.

We followed Kiyo through the castle halls, finally arriving in the Dining Hall, where Ashu-Niisama sat at the long meeting table at the head of the room with an old looking goblet in his hand. No one else was in the Dining Hall except Negative, Rath, and Tai, which I found strange because Tai and Clover were almost never separated.

"It is foolish for Elliot to think he can take us down on the Zambi Plains. He must be in utter denial that we are stronger!" Negative was saying as we walked in. All eyes turned to us as we stopped beside of Ash.

"My love," Ash and Negative said in unison to Kiyo and Yomi. They both blushed, and smiled at them sheepishly before Ash continued.

"There's no need to be alarmed when I tell you this, but there is a planned attack on the castle," he said, and as soon as my mouth opened to shout my feelings of disbelief, he continued. "Now, calm down, there's no need for alarm. We've decided to meet them on the Zambi Plains in the Paranormal World," Ash explained.

"We are going," Kiyo said automatically. Ash smiled, apparently knowing she would have said something like that.

"No, love, you, your Guardian, and your other friends will be staying here for the next few days alone," Ash said, serenely, as if he knew she would object. I knew she would, too.

"What? You are _not_ going to battle without us!" she shouted. I held in a laugh, feeling okay with the fact that we would have to stay back this time. As long as my Protectants were here with me, I would be fine; they'd be safe away from the battle.

"Dear, it's much too dangerous for you to go to battle. Besides, Yami and Mizu are here, and they aren't trained properly for battle, and probably wouldn't stand a chance against the creatures Elliot and I will be battling with," Ash reasoned. She glared for a few moments taking this into consideration while Yami and Mizu turned and stared at each other as if in disbelief that he had called them weak.

"Fine," she said after a long silence. He smiled, happy to have her see it his way. I smiled, and nodded in agreement to him.

"It won't be so bad, Kiyo. We'll have the whole castle to ourselves, and we won't have to worry about anybody getting hurt. She sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"I'll show them around a little," Fear said, fading from a portal behind Ash. "They've been here for so long and still haven't seen the whole castle." Yomi scoffed to herself which was ignored.

"That's a good idea, Fear. Take them to your rooms, and show them the west wing of the castle," Ash said. Rath grinned, said 'yes!' under his breath, and nodded, before him and Negative went to Fear's side.

"This should be fun," Rath said, smirking at Fear. She rolled her eyes and smiled, before turning away to lead us from the room.

The west wing of the castle was the opposite of the east wing, which was where our rooms were located. I had never been to the west wing before, and was a little excited about it. The west wing was where Ashu-Niisama's inner circle rested. They had rooms there.

Fear led us through an unfamiliar part of the castle before we came to a stop down a long hall. "This is where most of Ash's upper class people that he's close to stay; as in Rath, Negative, Night Rider, Nightmare, Clover, Tai…you know, his inner circle," Fear explained.

"My room is the best!" Rath bragged, walking down the hall, and stopping a doorway a few feet down the hall.

I glanced at my friends before we walked down the hall, and followed him into his room. Inside, there was a large flat screen television, and millions of game systems, cords, remotes, and so many game cases that I couldn't count them. My eyes widened, and my mouth dropped at the same time Yoru said, "I could get used to this."

Yami smiled and nodded as she took it all in. "I like this, Rath, I like this a lot." I laughed as Rath moved towards the stacks of disks, and game cases.

"These are my babies. Do. Not. Touch. Them," he said, slowly. "I check them every day for scratches, and finger prints. Don't touch my babies," he repeated his face completely serious. The silence stretched out for a long time turning into an awkward silence.

"Now…moving on," Rath said, turning joking again. Kiyo and I exchanged glances before leaving the room with the others. Fear met us and smiled.

"My turn," she said, smirking at me. I twitched and felt a shiver run down my spine. We walked down the hall a few feet before coming to a vibrant purple door that had, "Fear," written in vibrant lime green. I liked the door, and I'm sure Kiyo did too by the way she was smiling at it.

Fear opened the door, and stepped inside. There were a few thumps from inside before Fear said, "Aww, hi there, Fluffy."

Kiyo and I exchanged glances before Fear stepped out of the door way, followed by a huge – and when I say huge, I do mean _huge _– spider! My world spun as the giant beast that was about a foot away from being the same height as Fear crawled out of the door.

It had long hair that Fear must have died pink and purple, and a single pink and purple polka-dotted bow on top of its head. My heart literally seemed to stop for about five seconds before I could make myself scream, and run the other way. Spiders were definitely not my thing.

Yomi's Point of View

Kairi took off running, screaming at the top of her lungs hysterically. Yoru looked after her before turning and glancing at the giant spider that had crawled from Fear's room. I looked back at it, too.

"Look at the _size_ of that mother fucker! That mother fucking spider is _huge_!" Mizu said in disbelief as she pointed at it.

"Language, Mizu!" I said, fiercely. The spider twitched a little, and brushed past Kiyo who had gone into shock at the sight of the beast.

When it touched her, she fell to the floor and began rocking back and forth. "It…touched me…" she breathed as she continued to rock back and forth with her knees close to her chest.

The spider looked around at Yami and Mizu, and then started to crawl towards them. "Hell no!" Mizu screamed just as Yami took off running down the hall, the opposite way of Kairi. Mizu ran after her.

"Aww it's okay Fluffy. Kairi is a little freaked out by spiders. Maybe you could warm her up to them?" Fear said, as if she were talking to a baby kitten. Fluffy took off running in the direction Kairi had. Her screams echoed through the halls, and I saw Tai, Night Rider, and Nightmare poke their heads out of one door just in time to see Fluffy disappearing around a corner.

"Oh," Night Rider said. "I'm guessing Kairi…?"

"She met Fluffy," Fear said simply, walking towards Night Rider, and hugging him.

"Yea, that's what I thought," he chuckled, wrapping his arms around her. She pulled back.

"Fluffy, leave her alone!" Fear called after a few more moments. Kairi's screams continued for a few seconds before we heard the thumps of Fluffy coming back down the hall.

"That's a good girl," Fear coaxed. She tapped her knees playfully like she was calling to a dog or a cat. I just shook my head, unable to see her affection with the giant spider. Fluffy came up beside her, and stood as Fear stroked her head. "You want to touch it, Kiyomi?" she asked me. My eye brows rose in shock as I eyed Fluffy carefully.

I slowly reached out and pet her. She just sat there. I smiled at Fear, and she laughed. "She likes you, Yomi. Do you want to touch her, Yoru?" Fear asked Yoru.

Yoru looked at the spider before saying blankly, "No."

"Aww, it isn't fair that you aren't afraid of spiders…" Fear fake pouted. Yoru smirked and shook her head.

"Nope. I'm not scared of spiders; that would be Kairi," Yoru laughed. Fear laughed, too.

"Isn't that the truth," Fear said. "Time to go back inside, Fluffy. Come on," Fear urged the giant spider.

"Bye, Fluffy," I said, in a small voice as if I were talking to a puppy. She scuffled into Fear's room, and she shut the door behind it.

"Now," Fear said, turning back to us, "Where were we?"

Kairi's Point of View

After finally getting over the fear of Fear's spider (that she had the audacity to name _Fluffy!_) we explored the other's rooms, then spent the rest of the day saying our 'good-byes' and 'be safe's' to everyone that was going battle (which was practically the whole castle…)

That evening, everyone left the castle that was going to the battle, leaving everyone in our little group alone for the next few days. Oh how fun would this be? We had the whole castle to ourselves!

8


	23. Crossroads of Seperation

_**~Chapter Twenty-Two: Crossroads of Separation~**_

"Bye, Ashu-Niisama!" we called in unison as they left, the sky began darkening with great speed. The air was cold around us, but I wasn't sure if it was cold enough to snow. Kiyo watched the fleet leaving, worry written all over her face and flowing through our bond. I put an arm on her shoulders to comfort her. She leaned against me as Ashu-Niisama and his army left.

"Well, I have to admit: I'm worried about them," I said, pausing to let that little detail sink in. "But come on, guys, we have the whole castle, alone, and to ourselves!"

As soon as I said it, a flash of lightning lit up the sky so brightly it blinded me for a few seconds. Moments later, a crash of thunder rolled after it, shaking the soles of our feet. Freezing cold, large rain droplets pelted the ground, splashing us all with water.

"Yes, mother fuckers!" Mizu shouted, putting her arms in the air, and running around.

"Mizu, language!" Yomi shouted after her as she ran towards the castle. I laughed, and pulled Kiyo with me as we retreated to the castle.

When we were inside the warm interior of the castle, we were joined by Lancer, Axel, and Archer. Axel took Kiyo from my support. Kiyo smiled, and said, "I'll be fine, there's no need to worry about me. I'm just a bit worried about them…"

"It's Ash, Hun, he'll be okay," Yomi said, trying to reassure her. She smiled and broke away from Axel. She hugged Yomi tightly, and pulled back.

"Thanks, Yomi, I really needed that," she said. I laughed, and hugged them both.

"Let's do something!" I cheered. Everyone laughed and agreed that we should do something to keep ourselves entertained.

"Can we get something to eat first? They left before we could eat dinner…" Yami said, raising her hand. Her and Mizu had their arms looped together, and were usually always near each other.

"I have to agree with Yami," Mizu said, looking at her, then back to me. I nodded, slowly, and looked to the others.

"Are you all hungry?" I questioned.

"I guess I could eat something," Kiyo said.

"Yomi is hungry!" Yomi said in a baby voice. I smiled.

"Eh, I could eat. But I really don't need the calories…" Yoru said. I slapped her arm gently and complained about how she wasn't fat.

"So, let's go eat then," Yami said. We left the servants in the room as Kiyo led the way to the Dining Hall from the large room. As we moved through the hallways, I began to get a bad feeling in the pit of my stomach. It was very faint, and I could barely tell that it was bad, but it was slowly creeping upon me. I idly wondered if I was the only one who felt it when we finally arrived at the Dining Hall.

The large oak table at the head of the room was empty of everything but candles, most of them being blue and white to match Ashu-Niisama's royal colors, blue and silver.

Suddenly, I saw movement in the corner of my eye, and my heart began to pound. I turned towards it, moving to a defensive stance in front of my protectants, only to be rendered silent when I realized it was Grace-Lilly; Misula's protectant.

"Grace-Lilly!" Yomi gasped, surprised. "What are you doing here?"

"I was coming to eat, considering the others have all left before supper time," she explained. "Or breakfast rather." She laughed a little before I answered.

"That's exactly what we were planning to do," I said, smiling politely. She nodded, and smiled as well.

"It's an honor to see you again, Guardian Kairi," she said. I nodded to her.

"And you as well, Lady Grace-Lilly," I said to her. My bad feeling began to grow as a servant brought out food for us to dine on. I sat between Kiyo and Yomi at the huge table at the very head of the room, and began eating the food served to me. Yoru sat beside Yomi; next was Mizu, and finally Yami.

"So are you the only one besides us and the servants that are still in the castle?" Yomi asked.

Grace Lilly sipped her tea and then nodded. "My style doesn't suit fighting very much."

"I wanted to go fight, but of course, Ash doesn't let me," Kiyo said, pouting. I laughed, and sipped some of my tea. Then, I felt it. Darkness poured around me, causing my breath to suck in. Kiyo shuddered, feeling it pool into the room as well. The lights flickered, and suddenly, Grace-Lilly screamed.

All of our eyes shot to her just in time to see her being dragged back in her chair. Yami and Mizu's screams echoed through the room, causing Kiyo and Yomi to scream as well. Yoru and I followed in the screams, soon after and the servant seemed to scream as well. Grace-Lilly soon faded away, and the lights flickered several more times before going completely out.

Mizu, Yami, and Kiyo's screams continued, and I automatically reached for Kiyo's arm, to give her some comfort. For a few moments, their screams rang out; then we heard the servant's scream get cut off, causing Kiyo's hysteria to build.

I quickly concentrated on lighting several candles near us, to see what was going on around me. Mizu and Yami were both clinging to Yoru who kept her face blank and her stance ready for a fight.

Yomi seemed a bit shaken, but not screaming as the others were. I quickly grabbed her by the arm, and pulled Kiyo with me to where Yoru had Mizu and Yami. Yoru looked around the room for any sign of the servant or Grace-Lilly.

"Kairi, there's so much Darkness…" Kiyo finally whimpered after she was done screaming. I pulled her closer, feeling the Darkness swiveling around the both of us.

"It's okay, it's okay; I've got this," Yomi said proudly. She snapped her fingers, and fire emitted from the tip of her thumb. We all glanced at it for a few seconds before the sound of someone blowing came, and the flame died.

She relit her thumb, lighting her face up again. "You guys saw that, right?" she said, looking behind her. I blinked, and nodded, slowly. Suddenly, it was blown out again. Agitated, she relit her thumb, and smirked when it stayed for a few moments longer until it was blown out again.

"Dang it! Kairi, you try it then!" she said. I took a shaky breath, and copied her movement. My thumb lit up, staying for a little while before I felt a breeze blow it out. I blinked, finding this strange.

"Okay, ready, same time," Yomi said. "One, two, three." We snapped in unison, and watched our thumbs light up. Then, they blew out. We glanced at each other with the little bit of light the candles on the table gave us.

"Okay, this is the _last_ darn time!" Yomi hissed. She snapped her fingers, and the light revealed our faces much better. Suddenly, a hand reached from the darkness, and put the fire out. My eyes widened in shock, and Kiyo's grip on my arm grew stronger.

"Alright, who's the wise guy?" Yomi asked, looking behind her. There was nothing but the dimly lit wall.

"Can we please find a way to get the lights turned back on?" Kiyo whispered, sounding as freaked out as I felt.

"I agree with Kiyo," Yami said, sounding scared to death. I looked to Yoru, and she nodded.

"Let's go before that hand comes back, but this time, it'll have a body attached to it," Yoru said, glancing back to where the hand had come from.

We walked towards the other door that led in the direction of the west wing, where everyone's rooms were that had already left. My mind kept wandering back to Grace-Lilly, wondering if she was okay and what had happened to her.

As we walked through the halls, searching for a door that might lead us to the breaker room, I felt a sickening feeling course through me. I suddenly pushed Kiyo forward, into Yami and Mizu, with enough force to send the three of them stumbling forward.

Kiyo gasped, and turned back towards me, just in time to see the large chandelier above Yomi, Yoru, and me falling. "Kairi!" she yelled, before sending a sloppy wave of wind towards us. We flew backwards, landing on the floor of the hallway.

The chandelier crashed in front of us, blocking our path to Kiyo, Yami, and Mizu.

"Holy shit!" Mizu yelled in surprise, and I half expected Yomi to complain, but knew she wouldn't in such a serious situation.

"Kiyo! Are you alright?" I shouted, despite the hectic chaos that everyone had broken into.

"I'm fine!" she finally said. Everyone fell silent after a few moments as I climbed off the ground, and helped Yomi up. Yoru stood, and followed me to the fallen chandelier.

"We're blocked off…" Kiyo stated after a few moments. The pile of broken glass and metal from the chandelier towered a few feet taller than me.

"Don't panic," I said, calmly, though, I didn't feel that way.

"Look, everyone calm down!" Yoru said. Yami and Mizu's frantic whispering ceased and silence followed. "Kiyo, you take Mizu and Yami and go around the other way, and meet us in the throne room. We'll go the long way around, and meet you there," Yoru said calmly.

"Okay…" she said after a few moments. "Be careful, all of you. Kairi, if anything happens, use our mind connection to get in touch with me."

"Same to you; take care of each other, and be careful," I called. Silence followed, and I forced myself to turn the other way.

"We need to get to the throne room, right?" Yomi asked, finally saying something for the first time since Grace-Lilly had disappeared.

"Yea," Yoru and I said in unison. I held my hand out and let fire spring to life on my palm. She copied my movement, lighting up most of the hallway and giving us a five foot range of sight. I noted that this time, they stayed lit.

"Then let's go," she said, and with that, we began walking through the darkened hallway.

Mizu's Point of View

I clung to Yami's arm as we advanced through the halls that were black as a night with no moon. We both stayed near Kiyo, all of us holding hands to make sure no one would be left behind or get lost.

As we continued, I felt an awkward feeling settle over me. I moved closer to Yami as we moved through the halls. A few moments passed before Kiyo stopped at a four-way intersection of halls and placed her hand on a wall that I couldn't see very well.

"Do you guys have a candle?" she asked, letting go of Yami's hand and touching the wall with her other hand.

"I don't have one," Yami and I said in unison. As if on cue, a hand reached out of the abyss around us, holding a candle. My mouth dropped, and I slowly gripped it in my hand. The disembodied hand disappeared back into the darkness leaving Yami and I wide eyed just as Kiyo turned around to look at us.

"I thought you said you didn't have a candle?" she questioned. Yami and I looked at the candle, rendered speechless as we stuttered trying to gain words for what had just happened.

"Well, don't just stand there, light it," Kiyo said, looking back at the wall and feeling around.

"But, I don't have something to light it with," I squeaked, still shocked. As soon as the words left my mouth, the hand returned with a lit match. My mouth dropped again, and my eyes grew the size of saucers. It lit the candle, and disappeared back into the darkness of the hallway.

"I…you…hand!" Yami gasped, as Kiyo turned around.

"What are you talking about? Quit joking around and give me the candle," Kiyo said, taking the candle from my hand. I looked at Yami and she just shook her head, and looked to Kiyo.

Silence followed Kiyo's sentence, and no one spoke for awhile. Suddenly, Yami asked, "Did you hear that?"

"What?" Kiyo and I asked in unison and looking at her at the same time.

"That voice. Didn't you hear it?" Yami asked. I listened closer, but heard nothing.

"I don't hear anything," I stated, plainly.

"I don't either…maybe you're just hearing things, Yami," Kiyo said, sounding uneasy. She turned back to the wall. I looked at Yami for awhile, watching her. She kept looking around the corner, and down the hall beside her.

I looked away from her and to the place the hand had come from, which was behind me, and saw someone standing there. Surprised, I focused my eyes, and looked closer, trying to make out who it was. At closer inspection, I realized it was the really cute guy that was really close to Ash.

I blushed, remembering how charming and hot he was. Maybe if I followed him, he would be able to help us. I walked towards him as he walked down the dark corridor.

"Hey you?" I called after him. Then I remembered his name was Tai. I knew something was wrong. He was supposed to be gone with Ash. He didn't stop, or turn around, but kept walking. I followed him faster, and soon was having to run to keep up with him. "Come on, stop running!" I called.

Tai turned a corner, and I followed, but came to a dead stop when it was a dead end. Tai was nowhere in sight. "Tai?" I called, feeling a bit freaked out. "Hello?" I called. "Where did you go, you little fucker?" Somewhere in my conscious, I half expected Yomi to come around the corner, and yell at me for cussing, but nothing but silence followed my calls.

I sighed, and went to the wall. I touched it before leaning against it in thought. Suddenly, I felt wind sweep around me. I gasped, and my vision blurred with speed for a split second. When I stopped again, and blinked, I was feeling a bit dizzy and disoriented.

"Whoa, that was so cool!" I exclaimed to myself, as my eyes slowly took in my new surroundings. I was now outside in the cold air, and the sky was black and grey. Thunder and lightning streaked the sky and roared above me as I noticed that I was on a red-stoned bridge that lead straight to a huge, sharp-looking, pointed tower made of the same red stone as the bridge. I glanced at the bottom of the tower, and noticed there were huge spikes pointing up from the ground, as if they were waiting for someone to fall on them.

Oh my god, what had I stumbled upon?

Yami's Point of View

After seeing that creepy hand, I was definitely freaked out. And then I hear voices no one else does? No, that's definitely not good. I kept my back against the corner of the wall, and kept looking down the long dark corridor on my right. Kiyo continued to mumble to herself about some kind of power surging mechanism that was hidden somewhere near here, but I wasn't really paying attention.

The male voice called out again. "Yami…" I looked around the corner I was leaning against, trying to see if there was a person along with the voice, but saw no sign of movement or anything else for that matter.

"Yami, come here," I heard the voice call again, and something about it seemed…well, kinda sexy. So, me being me, I followed it down the hall. To tell you the truth, I couldn't remember a thing about what I had been doing before I heard the voice for the first time. All I could remember from before the mysterious voice was being with Mizu and Kiyo.

As I followed the voice though the dark halls (which, under normal circumstances, would have freaked me out, but when there's a hot guy involved, circumstances change) I began to wonder where I was.

And where the hell the voice was. If he was as good-looking as his voice sounded, the chase would be worth it. I rounded the corner and found my surroundings familiar. Was this the hall we went into all the rooms of the people that had just left for battle?

The voice called my name out again, and I followed it right to a single door that had _Rath's Room _printed on it. Was the voice Rath's? No, it couldn't have been. I heard Rath's voice before; this one was deeper, and different.

Noise caught my attention from behind me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I jerked the door open, stepped inside, and slammed the door closed without a single glance back.

The first thing that I noticed was Rath's _huge_ flat screen television was illuminated, which was strange, considering the power has gone off. His game system was blinking, meaning it was on, and the remote was on his large couch (which looked very soft and comfortable.)

On the television screen, there was a box that said, "Player one insert your name here." Above the box, _Eternal Crimson: the Unbeating Heart _was written in a blood-splattered font. I looked around, and decided there was nothing to lose.

I plopped down on the couch, picked up the remote, and kicked my feet up on a nearby cushioned stool. I typed in, "Yami Reignstriker" and clicked "Story Mode."

I glanced over and saw some popcorn and a can of soda. I guess Rath kept popcorn and soda in his room…and it _had _been a really long time since I had had a soda. Shrugging, I took them both and ate some popcorn as the game finished loading and the theme music began.

The bloody font dripped onto the screen reading, "Hello, Yami."

_Cool, it's responsive!_ I thought as the writing faded and continued.

"Welcome to _Eternal Crimson: the Unbeating Heart._" It paused to fade, reappear, and continue. "Too bad though that the heart that's '_unbeating'_ will soon be your own."

"What?" I said out loud while leaning closer to make sure I'd just read it correctly. Suddenly, the screen glowed, and I felt strange and tingly. Then my vision went black.

Kiyo's Point of View

We continued down the hall, though Mizu and Yami were being really quiet, so I just continued to talk to fill the silence. It made it much less scary when the air around us was filled with sound instead of eerie silence.

"There has to be _something_ we can do to get the power back on…" I said mostly directed to Yami or Mizu. Silence, again, answered me back. "Mizu?" I asked, feeling a little on edge. I turned around, and found nothing but the dark hallway. "Yoru? Kairi? Anyone?" Silence.

Icy fear rushed into my system, and I found myself running blindly down the long dark corridor, usually lit by torches or modern lights, depending on the occasion. "Kairi!" I screamed as I raced through the halls, searching desperately for my Guardian.

Suddenly, I slammed into a wall, and fell backwards onto my butt. I looked up at the wall and saw a door. I stood, trying to keep down my hysteria that was beginning to show.

I backed away from the door slowly, feeling a gut-wrenching feeling to get out of there and now. Then I heard the footsteps. Behind me, in the dark hallway, something was lurking only feet away. I could feel the energy of their presence almost as if I were seeing them.

Without a second thought, I ran to the door and jerked it open. All noise ceased again as I stared inside the black darkness of the room. A flash of lightning lit everything up for a few split seconds, just long enough for me to see that the door in front of me was a closet and there was a dark cloaked figure standing inside. I shrieked at the top of my lungs before its cold hands grabbed me, and pulled me into the closet with it. Its hands burned with Darkness.

Suddenly, the Darkness began to suffocate me. I swung wildly and struggled against the awful Darkness. My senses weakened and even my awful feelings seemed to cease, leaving me numb and all alone.

Yoru's Point of View

Kairi and Yomi led us through the halls and back into the dining room. It was hauntingly dark, and the Darkness from before still lingered in the air. As we passed through the dining room, the Darkness seemed to appeal to my senses, and shimmered around me, as if inviting me to partake in its desires.

The thought made me shudder, and I was grateful when we left the room. We continued through the halls, not speaking. Fear wasn't what I was feeling at the moment. I had more of a feeling of anticipation than fear. I never got scared, especially if it was things like this.

Kairi and Yomi's fire lit the walls up more, making it easier to see the pictures and paintings. I didn't need the fire to help me see, my Demon senses were enough to help me see. Thinking about my Demon senses reminded me of when Bara had awakened my true nature again.

I was a Demon. Before the battle that brought Kairi, Kiyo, and I together, my true nature had subsided because we had defeated Bara the first time. With no need for my nature to be released anymore, I slowly became more Human-like. But when Bara confronted us at the battle, she reawakened it.

Of course it didn't bother me. It's just something I'd have to live with. Being a Demon wasn't such a bad thing anyways. I had strengthened senses, and was stronger than most. I was going to use what life gave me to my advantage.

I watched as we passed the paintings, and paused in mid-stride when I saw one of Sempu. She was sitting cross-legged with a gun in her lap. Her eye-patch covered her left eye, and her hair lay loosely on her shoulders and back.

She wasn't smiling, but instead looking off in the distance. _Why would there be a picture of Sempu in Ash's Castle?_ I wondered. I turned to leave, but quickly turned back around when I saw the picture change, maybe even move. For a split second, I saw Bara instead of Sempu and then it changed back.

I shook my head, and decided I was just seeing things because of the paranoia that had settled over us all. I turned to follow Kairi and Yomi, but found that they were gone. Lovely. I guess I'd have to sniff them out with my Demon smelling.

But as I moved through the hallway, I found that their scents were gone. And I found that the temperature was rising the farther I went down the tunnel-like hallway. The heat sweltering around me was almost suffocating. I fanned myself quickly with my hands as I began to sweat. This was strange, especially considering how cold it usually was around this time of the year in Ash's castle.

Suddenly, vines whipped around my hands. I gasped, and looked to the source of the vines to see them coming from the ceiling. They tightened around my hands and twisted all the way up my arms before yanking me towards the ceiling from which they came.

"Welcome To Facebook!" I yelled as I was pulled through the ceiling, and into Darkness that settle over me like a calm wave of water, and yet it unnerved me and soothed me at the same time. Where was I?

Kairi's Point of View

"Yomi, I'm seriously getting a really bad feeling," I muttered as we walked through the darkened halls with only our fire lighting our way.

"I've had a bad feeling ever since the lights went off, and now Yoru is gone? Definitely not good," Yomi said. I nodded as we proceeded through the halls.

"I really hope Kiyo, Mizu, and Yami are okay…" I sighed after a long silence.

"Me too," Yomi agreed. "They'll be okay, though. No need to worry; Kiyo won't let anything happen to them."

I nodded again. Silence stretched after that. The only noise I heard was our footsteps and the sound of my heartbeat in my ears. That would explain why I jumped so bad when I heard my name being called.

I turned around after recovering from the shock of the voice, and gasped when I saw the one person I was least expecting to see; My Lightning. "Lightning!" I called. He smiled, and motioned for me to come to him. I turned to Yomi, about to tell her he was there, but couldn't make the words come out.

Yomi was gone. A haunting chill made me shudder and I turned back to Lightning who had his back turned towards me, and was walking away.

"Wait!" I called. "I'm coming with you!"

"Then come on, my love, we don't have much time," Lightning's voice called out to me, and I felt my heart melt at the mere sound of it. I ran forward, letting my fire lead the way to him.

He continued forward, and I followed, only feet behind. "Wait up!" I called as he continued, and I slowed to a walk from becoming breathless. He continued until he went through a door, and closed it behind him. I opened it when I reached it, and walked into the Dining Room from the side door that we had come through.

Instantly, I felt the Darkness' presence. I shuddered at the horrid feeling, and backed up. I heard the door slam behind me, and gasped. I turned to it, and grabbed the knob. Just as I was about to jerk it open, my feet were knocked out from under me, and I landed in a chair.

I gasped, and it turned around, and my mind spun with confusion. I was sitting in front of an old creepy house now. My mouth dropped open, and an awful feeling consumed me. What…?

Yomi's Point of View

"Kairi! Yoru! Kiyo!" I shouted as I swiftly walked down the dark hall. "Mizu, Yami?" An even worse feeling had fallen upon me ever since Kairi had gone missing, too, leaving me all alone. Where had Kairi gone?

"Guys?" I called, shakily. Only silence answered my calls and shouts. I looked around the dark hall, letting myself slow down. I squinted my eyes, and used my half-Vampyre sight (that I usually never used because I was ashamed of what I was…) to see the walls and doors. Relief flooded though me when I realized I was in the East Wing of the castle where our rooms were.

I went to each of my friend's rooms, opening the doors to see if they were inside. With no luck, I sighed a long sigh and went into my own room. I concentrated on starting a fire in the fireplace. After the wood caught fire, I went to my desk, searching for a candle that I could keep near my bedside.

As I rifled through my drawers, the feeling of doom returned from before. I stopped moving and slowly looked up into the mirror. My reflection was glaring. This confused me and I quickly moved my hand to see if the reflection copied. It did.

I looked at it for a few moments, curious of why I was glaring. Suddenly, before my eyes, my reflection began to change. My hair lightened in color and shortened in length, coming to my knees instead of my ankles now. My skin became even paler than usual.

Before I knew it, Noel was sneering back at me instead of my own reflection. I gasped and stumbled to get back from the mirror.

"Noel!" I accused, definitely taken aback. Her eyes slanted even more before reaching out of the mirror and grabbing my shirt collar and jerking me towards her. "No!" I yelled grabbing onto my desk, and clinging to it desperately. My fingers began to slip. "No…no…no!" I screamed as my fingers flew from the desk, sending me head first into the mirror.

Unknown Point of View

_ With all of them separated, and no one at the castle to save them, it would be too easy for them to fall into the clutches of their worst fears. I can only say that I am amused._

11


	24. Fear Itself

_**~Chapter Twenty-Three: Fear Itself~**_

Kairi's Point of View

How did I get here? Where was I? A few seconds ago, I had been in the dining room, looking for Lightning, and now I was sitting in a chair in front of a creepy torn-up-looking house. The windows were broken, with jagged shards of glass in some areas, and nothing in others. Spider webs dangled from the windows, creating an eerie feel to the house.

I rose from the chair and looked around. The area of the yard I was in was fenced; though the fence wasn't much of a fence. I looked behind me, where I could swear I felt someone just staring right into my back. Woods loomed over me, and I realized I was in the back yard of the house.

The grass was tall and filled with tall weeds, ranging from my shins to my shoulders. Several trees stood around the yard, stripped of their foliage, leaving their branches bare and naked just as the ones behind me were. The house gave me the feeling of death, gloom, and a very potent sense of loneliness.

I shuddered, and took an automatic step back because of the feeling that was building in my stomach. I knew I should go, and get away from the house, even if it meant going through the creepy forest. I began to turn to leave, but something stopped me in my place, and sent my blood running cold; laughter.

Gentle, light, and easy-going, it drifted to my ears, and wrapped around me. But it wasn't just any laughter, it was _their_ laughter. Kiyo, Yomi, Mizu, Yami, and even Yoru were all laughing. I slowly turned back towards the house, which was where their laughter was coming from.

"Guys?" I called, just to see if I wasn't hearing things. Their voices and laughter continued. I listened carefully, just to make sure they really were coming from inside (probably because I was very reluctant to go inside of the creepy house…)

I looked back at the woods, and then the house, unsure if I should go inside. I heard them again, and felt my protective instinct kick in. My protectants were in there. With a sigh, I decided to go inside.

I slowly made my way to the house. I stopped at the broken and unsteady looking stairs, debating whether they were safe of not. With a few kicks, I found that they were sturdy enough to support me, and climbed them. As I reached for the door knob, it slowly creaked open, tainting the air with a loud screech. The door slowed and quieted, leaving a cold chill running down my spine. I creaked the door open a little more and said, "Guys?"

When no one responded, I opened the door all the way, and stepped inside the house. "Kiyo? Yoru! Guys, are you in here…?" but my sentence was cut short as I heard the door behind me slam close and lock. I gasped, and turned around to find a _huge_ spider on the door (thank God it wasn't as big as Fluffy!)

My hand shot to my mouth, trying my best to not scream. I couldn't make myself move, but only watch the spider in horror. Suddenly, a smaller, but still really big, spider dropped down from the ceiling on a string of web, hovering right in front of my face, making me jump back a foot.

To my horror, even more emerge from under the door and begin to move closer to me. I screamed, unable to help it. I ran away from the spiders, desperate to get to a door that would lead to a different room or maybe a window I could jump from, but every time I seemed to find one that I could run into, the spiders were there, blocking my way; almost as if they were _walls_ blocking my way.

I ran for the only spider-free place, desperate to get away from them. I climbed the stairs to the attic, and slammed the door shut behind me. I slunk down to my butt, and pulled my knees to my chest, panting heavily. What the hell was going on?

Kiyo's Point of View

I slowly came to a conscious feeling of laying on something damp. I forced my eyes open and came face to face with a forest floor. I blinked, sat up, and looked around the forest area. Fog and mist coated the ground, only giving me a seeing range of about six feet ahead of me.

I stood and dusted my now damp clothes off. In the distance, I heard noises almost like a blend of moans and whispers. I crossed my arms closely together to keep the cold feeling that was starting to come over me away.

I turned, trying to see more of the dark, misty forest than just a few feet ahead of me. I also listened closer to the hushed voices and disembodied moans to try and interpret what they were saying. With no luck, I went to my last resort.

"H-hello?" I called, not meaning to sound so shaky. I cleared my throat and called, "Hello?" Only the meshed whispers and moans answered, still unintelligible. I continued to shout 'hello,' feeling worse about the situation and my surroundings by the second.

Suddenly, bushes near me rustled. I jumped back, a scream building in my throat. It rustled more, and I shrieked and took off running the other way. Fear struck me, causing adrenaline and instinct to kick in.

I ran as fast as I could through the forest, not really caring about the branches whipping at my bare skin or the thorns clinging to my jeans like claws trying to pull me back. As I ran, I felt an awful feeling building inside me. I also heard the voices getting closer. I began to understand what they were saying, which made me more frantic to get away from them.

"Do you want to see…?" one whispered, and I screamed because it was so close to my ears. I knew what they were…They were the dead Phoenixes; the dark ones of my kind that die and never pass on.

Then, another one said, "Death is near." Others continued, their whispers becoming louder, frightening me even more.

"You can't escape, Mother…He's coming soon…he'll find you…it's impossible, dear…You're going to die here…No one can save you; no one can save you now." I put my hands over my ears to try and blot out the now loud and echoing voices that sounded like they were right at my ears. What kind of nightmare had I fallen into?

Yomi's Point of View

I blinked and found myself lying on a cold stone floor. I sat up, feeling a rush of disorientation. Was I in the dungeon or something?

"Wouldn't you like to know…?" I heard a soft whisper breathe next to my ear. The hair on the back of my neck stood up and I quickly stood and turned to face whose voice it was.

But no one was there. Confusion settled over me. "Hello?" I asked.

"Confused, are we, Mrs. Vanclaud?" the voice answered, and by the use of the name 'Vanclaud,' I knew whose voice was taunting me. How dare she use my Vampyre title against me?

"Noel! Show yourself!" I yelled.

"Why would I give you what you want, Mrs. Vanclaud?" she asked. I ground my teeth in frustration. I looked around, trying to find her. Maybe she was hiding in a corner, or maybe she was invisible.

"Maybe both," she whispered, her voice sounding close to my ear. I turned quickly, swinging my fist with me, hoping to maybe catch her off guard. My fist flew through the open air, surprising me that nothing was there. I glared at the empty space.

"Surprising how illusive I can be, don't you agree?" she sneered.

"Show yourself," I growled through clenched teeth.

"Why don't you sit back and enjoy the show, Mrs. Vanclaud?" Noel paused before continuing. "Of course, you won't have much time to watch considering you're the star."

"What?" I demanded before everything seemed to fade. I blinked and shook my head, trying to clear it. My surroundings had changed, and I was now standing in a blank white room.

Then I saw Negative. This confused me. Hadn't I just been in the dudgeons…? Negative's warm smile distracted me from my thoughts. He began to approach me, and I walked towards him, deciding to meet him halfway.

Suddenly, Noel was behind him. Shock coursed through me, and I tried to open my mouth and scream to him to watch out, but it was as if I couldn't control myself at all. I tried moving my legs, but found I couldn't.

Noel was approaching him quickly and he was completely oblivious to her. I couldn't move! When she was behind him, I began to feel tears forming in my eyes. Negative's eyes suddenly widened as Noel shoved her clawed hand through his stomach.

Screams echoed around me as Noel pushed him off of her hand and he landed on his knees. I realized the screams were my own. "Negative!" I cried. Noel took her foot and kicked Negative into his stomach.

I still couldn't move, and yet my heart wrenched at the sight of him on the floor. "He never stood a chance," Noel sneered before walking past him, and closer to me. "But I think I know who does," Noel paused before snapping her fingers. Suddenly, a confused and disoriented Kairi and Yoru appeared before us.

"Hello, Fatewin, Crescentworth," Noel greeted them.

"Run!" I screamed, desperately wishing I could move but was frozen in my place. They didn't seem to hear me. Kairi and Yoru glared at her, summoning Ryokua and Kuroyaku, which, in my mad attempts of trying to tell them to run, I found strange.

Why weren't they summoning their scythes? Noel smirked and dodged their incoming attacks.

Noel suddenly blurred with Vampyre speed. Yoru and Kairi looked bewildered, as the blur moved around, too quickly for them to comprehend. Kairi pressed her back to Yoru's, hoping to find a way to stop Noel from hurting her protectant.

I screamed at them to leave again and get away before she killed them, but as I did, she slowed down, ran forward at a slower speed, and stuck her hand all the way through both of their chests.

My body went numb as my screams echoed all around me. They fell as Noel ripped her hand away from them; it was coated in their blood. Sobs racked my body and I found myself on the ground, rocking back and forth. My mind couldn't process what had just happened to my Negative and my friends.

Noel approached me, sneering. "Isn't it entertaining, sister? To watch all you love and care about fade away?"

"Shut up!" I snapped. She didn't laugh like I expected her to. Instead she kicked my chest, sending me backwards and onto my back. I blinked and saw the dark stone ceiling of the dungeon from before. I quickly sat up, looking around, but only found empty space.

I stood shakily and realized how bad I was trembling. "Not fun watching your life fall apart and die in your sight, is it?" Noel's voice whispered. I ignored her, and stumbled forward, searching for a way out of the dungeon. I looked at the walls and gasped when blood was splattered and seeping down them.

Then it disappeared. I blinked several times, before shaking it off as my imagination. As I continued on, flashes of blood interrupted my vision. Suddenly, Negative's dead body was lying in front of me. My screams were unmanageable, and I put my hands over my ears and squeezed my eyes shut.

"No, make it stop!" I screamed as I sunk to the floor.

"Look at it! Take it all in!" she hissed.

"No!" I screamed again. Then, there was silence.

Yami's Point of View

I blinked and found myself in a maze like place with walls towering over me. Confused, I looked around trying to decide what would be the best way to go, especially considering I had no idea how to get through the maze.

I decided to go straight, and take a right. Following this path, I tried to let myself just follow the instincts Kairi and Kiyo said everyone has. At first, I didn't feel anything, and I continued turning blindly, but then…I felt something.

In the pit of my stomach, I felt…well, I just felt. It wasn't a comfortable feeling, so I took that as a bad thing. I took another right, and came to a dead end. With a frustrated sigh, I quickly turned back around. I took the left path instead, and tried to take the paths that made my stomach most comfortable.

Eventually, I came to a pole that seemed to be in the very middle of the maze. I glanced around, and thought, _What's there to lose?_ I climbed the pole (which was a lot easier than I thought it would be; probably because I was in the Paranormal World and we're a lot stronger here.)

After reaching a decent height, I looked around and saw a door that I guesses was the way out. Suddenly, an arrow flew towards me, barely missing my head. I gasped as another one came at me, and I ducked.

"Ah, ah, ah, no cheating allowed," a male voice echoed from literally nowhere.

"Wtf, dude!" I shouted, my voice sounding squeakier than I had planned.

"I welcome you to Facebook too, Yami. But unfortunately…this isn't Facebook."

I slid down the pole, landing on my feet as more arrows showered around me. I took off running towards the door I had seem from the tall pole. As I ran, I heard growls from behind me.

I automatically turned around and regretted it when I did. Large lion-tiger things were chasing me! I had heard Yoru talking about animals that seemed to be like these called Lyrons.

Without another glance backwards, I ran as fast as I could towards the door which was in plain sight now. I raced forward feeling the Lyrons right behind. My breath became heavier as I neared the door, jerking it open with all my strength, lunging inside and slamming it.

I slowly sank to the ground in my new dark surroundings, panting and keeping my back to the door. My breath was rapid as I tried to calm my racing heart. After the growling and snarling calmed, I stood, and looked down the dark hall. The lights were still off. Damn it…

Mizu's Point of View

I slowly began making my way across the bridge, taking in the new scenery. Suddenly, lightning struck the stone bridge right next to me. I jumped back in shock, as the roar of thunder afterwards vibrated my feet and ear drums. I sighed, "Whew that was a close one."

I continued to walk across the bridge, watching for more lightning, and hoping that it wouldn't strike me. Water and lightning don't mix, and I knew I could control water if I really wanted to and if I tried hard enough, so naturally the lightning would be attracted to me.

I walked all the way to the entrance of the tower, and sighed because I knew that was the only way to go. I glanced down at the spikes, and felt shock when I realized the tips of them were coated in blood.

Above me, crows squawked over head and I watched as they flew around. The feeling of being watched settled over me, and I looked around nervously. I sighed, shook the feeling off, ignoring it. I opened the door to the tower to find a _million_ stairs, spiraling up in a huge staircase.

My mouth dropped open in shock as I realized I couldn't see the end of them. I shut the door and it closed with a slam, echoing through the whole tower. "Wow!" I said, feeling a bit bewildered by the loud echoes.

Suddenly, after the slam's echo quieted, I heard laughter echoing the tower. "Hello?" I called a bit on edge, and nervous. There was no response except the continuous laughter. "Hello..?" but I was cut off by a loud squawk.

I gasped, and looked up towards the noise to see a large crow flap its wings and land on a beam on the castle wall above me. The crow had distinctive red eyes that seemed to stare – no _glare_ – at me. I felt a bad feeling settle over me, and I knew I should get away from it.

So I cautiously made my way up the stairs to get away from it. I climbed the stairs that seemed to be never-ending. As I walked up them, my thoughts went astray and I began thinking of Tai…

He had that sexy light brown hair, and those exotic golden yellow eyes…I shuddered just thinking about him. And when I caught myself thinking about him, I blushed, and mentally scolded myself. _Not another guy, Mizu! They always just end up hurting you in the end…_

Suddenly, I fell forward, and gasped. I landed on flat stone. I looked down, and realized I had thought there were more steps, and fell forward when there hadn't been any more. I stood, and brushed myself off.

In front of me, there was a very eerie looking door. It towered over me and had a large knocker that looked like a crow with once again red eyes. What was with the red eyes, I mean damn!

I began to reach for the knocker, but stopped midway, debating if it was a good idea. I decided to turn around; maybe the laughter was part of my imagination? I began to descend the stairs again. I stopped in my tracks when the laughter began again, and I heard the door creak open from behind me, screeching loudly on the stone floor.

Cold air rushed towards me, and slammed into me, blowing my hair around my face. The mysterious girly laughter continued. I slowly turned around, and nervously peeked into the door only to find that it was too dark to see anything. I was about to step in when a huge flash of lightning lit up the whole room.

I saw an outline of something huge and dark perched in the window before the lightning's streak left the sky and everything went dark again. "Hello?" I stepped into the room, slightly and heard the brush of feathers. What was in here with me?

Yoru's Point of View

Suddenly, extreme heat broke through the Darkness around me, and my eyes blinked, finding my surroundings new. I looked around as the vine pulled me up from the ground. I looked to the sky, and saw four suns, blazing brightly above me.

I clenched my teeth, and realized I was in the Demon World. The endless vine held me from the ground a good four or five feet, not enough to make a really hard fall. I looked forward, only seeing things upside down, just in time to see Bara walking towards me.

"Ah! It's an ugly lady!" I shrieked, trying to bother her. Whenever I wasn't serious, it got under her skin, whether she admitted it or not. Bara glared at me, but I ignored it. I wasn't afraid of a wanna-be doll.

Bara smiled, and said, "Ah, Yoru, so nice of you to join me." She snapped her fingers, and my foot was released from the vine.

I fell to the ground as I exclaimed, "Even your voice is ugly!"

Bara smirked and turned to walk a few steps away. "I have something special in store for you," she said looking back at Yoru. "Would you like to get off the ground now?"

"No, it's a lot nicer than being near you," I snarled. Bara smirked again, and pulled out her large purple crystallized sword. "Where'd you get that, huh? A cosplay store?" I asked, knowing _that_ would get under her skin.

"Oh you just think you're so clever, don't you?" Bara snapped, while glaring at me. "Well, let's see how clever you are when you're the one dying on the floor." Bara suddenly took flight, and hovered in the air above me.

Instead of letting my shock show, I said, "You can fly? No wonder there are so many unexplained deaths!"

"Then I guess that means yours is next," Bara replied evenly as she extended out her hand and shooting a wide range of crystals at me. I dodged easily, and summoned Shiroyasha to block the remaining ones.

Suddenly, thorny vines wrapped around my ankles and my wrists tightly suspending me in the air; I couldn't move. Bara sent more crystal shards flying at me. I tried to move, but the vines only got tighter and began to really hurt. The shards began to hit me, and cut me, leaving long scratches on my skin.

How would I get out of _this _one?


	25. Small Hopes

_**~Chapter Twenty-Four: Small Hopes**_

Kairi's Point of View

My chest heaved heavily for several minutes, and I kept my forehead against my knees. When my breathing finally calmed down, and I sat my chin on my knees instead. Immediately, I noticed the floor was black and white; checkered like a checker board.

I stood, and turned to the door, examining the floor more. As I turned back towards the open attic, I saw a darkened figure standing in the shadows. My eyes widened in surprise. The figure, that was only the size of a seven year old child, stepped forward towards me.

When it stepped out of the shadows, I gasped. Echo, of all people, stood before me. "Kairi! You've come to visit me!" she said smiling and showing her jagged teeth. "Do you wanna play with me, Kairi?" she questioned. I didn't say anything, but prepared for anything that she would through at me. "Let's play!"

Two of Echo's dogs came crashing through the already broken windows behind her. I screamed and turned the other way to run. Suddenly, my leg went limp and I flew forward onto the checkered floor, face-planting the ground. I turned on my side, and looked at my leg, gasping when I saw a tattoo of one of Echo's dogs on it.

Damn it, she had used her dog to immobilize my leg. I tried desperately to drag my body forward with my arms, but it was too hard. Another dog jumped through the window, replacing the one that was immobilizing my leg. The other grabbed my leg in its mouth and started pulling me towards Echo and making me wince.

"Hee hee, fun!" Echo said, as I was helplessly pulled towards her. Her dog growled and released my leg from its clenched jaws. I watched in horror as Echo pulled out a sword. She smiled, and cut my immobilized leg long and deep. I clenched my teeth in pain, but was determined to not scream out.

"Hee hee, the game's about to be over," Echo said raising the sword and getting ready to plunge it through my back.

_Go, Kuroyasha! _I yelled in my head. Kuroyasha erupted from me in lion form.

"Big kitty!" Echo cheered as her dogs were attacked by Kuroyasha. She charged from my side towards Echo and jumped on her, making her lose control of the dog controlling my leg.

I got up, despite the pain in my leg from the gash Echo had left on it, and got as far away from Echo as I could. I turned back around, and was about to summon Kuroyasha back to my hand when she suddenly disintegrated off of Echo.

"Bad kitty," Echo said as she stood up.

"Kuroyasha!" I screamed as Echo's dogs charged at me again.

"Your kitty will make a fun toy for me," Echo said.

"What did you do to-?" but I was cut off as the first of the dogs slashed my shoulder with its sharp claws. The second dog bit left my hand. I cringed, pulled the huge dog up that was still clamped on my hand, and kicked it off of me.

I took off running, and jumped up onto a higher platform only to be followed by the dogs. Suddenly, a fiery pain cut through my back. I bit my lip to keep from screaming as I turned to face what had cut my back.

My eyes widened when I saw a disgusting burned and torn-up-looking doll standing on a platform above me with a sword that had my blood dripping from it. Before I could react, a dog crashed into me, knocking me down onto the floor, hard.

The doll jumped down and landed behind me. The dog on top of me jumped off as the doll grabbed my arm before I could get away from it, and bent it in a way that definitely wasn't natural. Pain pulsed through my arm as the doll continued to bend it farther and farther, and I did my best to not make a single noise by not breathing. A small whine escaped my lips as a sickening crack echoed through the room.

"I bet you wish your kitty was here," Echo's voice snarled.

"That's _it_!" I yelled. I pulled my dangling arm away from the doll, and extended my bloody leg up, kicking the doll backwards. I spun around on the floor as the doll fell, and kicked the sword out of its hand.

Once I had a good grip on it, I hopped up and slashed the doll in half. It released a loud scream and vanished before my eyes. My broken arm dangled lifelessly as I moved. Echo appeared before me.

"Hmm…" Echo said and the sword I clutched in my hand vanished as the doll had. "That's my toy!" she exclaimed. "But if you really want your kitty back…" Echo smirked and Kuroyasha, in scythe form, appeared in my good hand (which, thank heavens, was my right hand…)

As soon as I had her in my hand, Echo's dogs took over my arm and both of my legs. My arm moved Kuroyasha to my side, and slashed it. I held in a whimper.

"Why are you cutting yourself, Kairi?" Echo laughed as she controlled her dog and made me cut my broken arm. I gritted my teeth together. "That's not a very good habit, dear," she said. I felt myself growing weaker and weaker from blood loss and pain had been overcome by deep cuts, bruises, and my broken arm. I felt myself struggling to stay conscious, and tried to force myself to keep my eyes open.

"Well, it's been fun, but all games have to end," Echo said as she made the dog controlling my arm put Kuroyasha behind my neck. The blade slowly began to break the skin of my neck when suddenly; Ryokua's voice spoke into my mind.

_Young Master, I cannot lose you as I have lost Miss Misula. Allow me to save you._

Ryokua lashed out of me and attacked Echo. Her dogs lost control of me and Kuroyasha returned to her lion form. She joined to Ryokua in attacking Echo. I stood, despite the pain and shakiness of my body going into shock from all the wounds and blood loss.

"Ryokua, ima koi!" I called. Ryokua emerged in my hand in his sword form. I ran forward as best as I could and joined in as Kuroyasha was mauling Echo. She glared and vanished before she could get any more damage.

"This isn't over, Kairi! We will have more time to play some other time! And it will be soon…" Echo's voice called out. When I felt her presence fade, I relaxed, and leaned against Kuroyasha.

"She's gone…" I breathed. Kuroyasha whimpered in worry for me. I patted her head. "I'm fine, girl. You both did well." I stoked her neck a little before allowing her and Ryokua to return to me.

Kiyo's Point of View

A bright flash of lightning streaked across the dark sky, causing my hysteria to increase as the thunder roared after it. Tears streaked down my face, and I wished desperately that Kairi, Ash, or Yoru would appear before me and make the voices go away. As I continued to run and become breathless, the voices grew louder and soon I was in hysterical sobs. More thunder and lightning caused havoc, and soon it was pouring down cold rain.

"Are you ready to die, Mother?" I heard them whisper. And I screamed in objection.

"No! Leave me alone!" I screamed out against the rain, wind, and deafening thunder. I gasped for breath, feeling like I was going to die. I pressed my hands to my ears even harder and squeezed my eyes shut.

Suddenly, my foot caught on a branch and sent me forward. I gasped and automatically tried to catch myself before I fell. When I hit the ground, everything went quiet. I refused to open my eyes at first, unable to comprehend the fact that I heard nothing, and felt no rain whipping against my skin.

I slowly opened my eyes and found myself on the edge of a foggy meadow. Trees surrounded the place, and fog, again, coated the ground like before. I was trembling in fear and because I was cold and wet. My breath was rapid, and the only sound I could hear at the time was the sound of my frantic heart in my ears.

I forced myself up onto my tired legs and looked around. The trees around the meadow had no leaves. In between the trees, I could see dark cloaked figures moving around moaning. I shuddered at the awful feeling they gave me.

Tears and rain water soaked me. My arms and face stung from the scratches the branches had left on my skin. I slowly turned around because I had a deep sickening feeling of being watched. I gasped, and stepped back when I saw Raven, a Dark Phoenix that controlled Darkness itself and wanted me dead, towering over me. "R…Raven…?" I gasped.

He cocked a crooked smile and said, "Hello, Kiyo. You know, you can't escape dear." He laughed creepily, sending chills down my back and stepped out of the shadow of the trees.

I backed away, a scream building in my throat as I saw the other dead Phoenixes coming from behind him. Before it was too late, I released a scream, and took off running away from them. I heard them following, and did my best to keep running as fast as I could, despite my weak legs, and heavy breathing.

I dashed across the meadow, and into the woods again, dodging tree roots, and branches that would make me trip again; I knew if I fell this time, there was no saving me. My breathing became more and more labored with each step, but I pushed forward, desperate to get away from the Darkness that was coming from the dead Phoenixes and Raven.

I couldn't get his laughter out of my head, and it sounded as if it was ringing through my ears. Tears spilled over my cheeks again, and I knew it was only a matter of time before he caught me.

And as I thought it, I felt myself trip. I landed on the ground beside a different meadow. I crawled forward, trying to keep moving, and get away from them, but was soon surrounded by their moaning and their scary cold Darkness.

Suddenly, one of their lifeless hands touched my shoulder. I screamed as I felt the power of the Darkness emitting from it, and scrambled away only to be touched by another.

"Stop!" Raven's voice yelled, making me flinch even more. The dead Phoenixes backed away only to reveal him in his long black cloak that match his long dark hair. "I want to finish her off," he said, stepping forward slowly. He knelt down beside me, and I quickly looked away from his red eyes, and down to his long black hair that almost blended in with his cloak.

"Oh, don't avoid my eyes, dear Kiyo," Raven whispered, putting his hand on my chin and lifting my face. His touch sent waves of dreadful Darkness pulsing through me. I screamed and began trying to get away from his touch. His hand tightened around my jaw, and forced me to look him in the eyes.

"Leave me alone!" I screamed. I wished someone would help me, but with the way things were looking, I didn't think I was going to survive this one…

Yoru's Point of View

"You mother fugly!" I screamed, letting Shiroyasha fall from my hand and fade. The shards of crystal increased in speed and power, causing deeper cuts to streak my flesh.

_Young Master…!_ Shiroyasha's voice snarled.

_Go!_ I thought. Suddenly, Shiroyasha lunged out of me in lion form, flying towards Bara. She disappeared and reappeared, teleporting behind him. Using the movement of her palm, she flipped him upside down and onto his back. Shiroyasha growled in pain. I clenched my teeth in rage and pain. The vines made a snapping noise, and I glanced up to see the crystal shards had cut one of the vines that were immobilizing my arm.

Bara didn't even notice because she was so busy with Shiroyasha. Using this to my advantage, I tried to get down, and break the vines with my own strength. When I finally broke free from the vines, I flew to the ground, landing on my head. _Ow! I'll be surprised if I get out of this without a concussion,_ I thought.

"Hey, Bara, leave him alone," I said evenly. Bara turned and smiled in mock innocence, giving the impression of a little girl caught doing something bad. I jumped up and flipped, trying to make Bara think I was going to kick her so she would move. She _did_ move out of the way, just as I thought. Heh. I knew her too well.

I landed next to Shiroyasha, crouched and ready to spring if needed. I gently petted Shiroyasha's head and stroked it soothingly. He returned to his scythe form and I slowly rose from the ground to face Bara. She was hovering in the air. Her face was expressionless, before she slightly smirked.

I jumped forward, lunging. I swung Shiroyasha at her, but she blocked it with her crystallized sword. Sparks flew as the weapons clashed. Bara plunged the sword at my heart, and I blocked it with Shiroyasha. She shifted her weight and I continued to press forward and apply force.

Suddenly, Bara brought up her other hand and flicked her wrist. I gasped as I went flying backwards, hit the ground, and skidded a few feet.

"You shouldn't fight so carelessly. After all, you wouldn't want your friend getting hurt…" Bara said, snapping her fingers. My teeth clenched when I saw Rufus behind her, restricted and immobilized by vines.

"Rufus…" I breathed and my breath quivered as I did. His eyes stared at me with a serious gaze, and I could see the desperate need to get me to safety just behind his eyes.

My teeth clenched harder, and I felt a rush of adrenaline pump through me. My Demon instincts began to kick in, and I found myself quivering. "Your temper is bothering you, Eienyoru. Your inner Demon is _dying_ to come out," Bara whispered I growled and felt the temptation of Darkness and carnage taunt me. My inner Demon pushed farther into my conscious, and I felt that feeling of the need to see blood.

"Yoru, no!" Rufus called. "That's what she wants you to do." His words made me pause and think, even despite the draws of Darkness pulling on my mind.

"Why resist the opportunity to get rid of me once and for all? And what about Rufus?" Bara questioned. Another vine crept towards Rufus and wrapped around his neck.

That set me off. Snarls erupted from my mouth, and my being burned as Darkness and desire flooded through me. I felt Kuroyaku's form become my own. Two tails grew from the bottom of my back. Horns and ears grew on top of my head. My nails extended into claws and my teeth extended into fangs. I knew my eyes had changed to a violent rusty golden red.

I leapt forward at incredible speed and tackled Bara, blindly. She laughed maniacally and extended her hand out just before I started mauling her.

"Oh my lovely creation has returned," she whispered. When her hand grazed me, I felt the Darkness and temptation of my Demon-self within increase. It lasted only a second before Bara's form was no more. I had mauled her to shreds, literally, and she had faded away.

Rufus was now on the ground looking solemn. "Yoru…" his voice broke through my instincts and I fell to my knees as I returned to my Human form.

"This is only the beginning, Eienyoru…" Bara's voice echoed. I looked up at Rufus; his face was so sad before everything faded, leaving me panting on my hands and knees in a room I wasn't familiar with.

"Yoru!" I heard Kairi's voice call. I gasped, and looked up. She was standing near me, looking like she had been in a train wreck or something. Cuts and blood covered her, and I began to worry for her safety.

"Kairi, what happened..?" I asked, as she walked towards me, looking worried.

"Echo and her dogs were here. Where is everyone else-?" but her sentence was cut short when she tripped, collided with me, and we both went flying through the door behind me.

We tumbled on a cold stone floor, and finally stopped. I blinked, and found we were in a stone, dungeon-like hallway. I looked around and saw five other doors not including the one that we had just tumbled out of.

Kairi stood, and staggered a bit before she spun around, making the same observations as I had. I stood as well, and listened with my acute Demon hearing. Kiyo's screams were echoing from the door right across from ours.

"Kiyo," Kairi said, automatically. I nodded once before we both summoned our scythes.

"Let's go," I said, and we both stepped forward, ready to bust the door down. I lifted my leg and kicked it in. The door opened up into a forest, confusing Kairi and I both.

"None of this is making sense!" Kairi said through gritted teeth.

"It's because it's all an illusion except for the enemies themselves. The places we fight, and the mazes we are faced with are all their creations; their own little games," I said, finally figuring it out. Kairi's faced turned understanding and then rage.

"Let's go get Kiyo!" Kairi said, sounding angry. I nodded, and we ran into the dark forest night whose silence was being interrupted by Kiyo's screams. Once again, I allowed my Demon senses, which had grown much stronger, come out, and lead us to where Kiyo would be.

Sadly, we didn't know what we were up against.

Mizu's Point of View

"Hello?" I said, and as soon as the words left my mouth, high pitch laughter echoed around the room again.

"Why, hello, dear child; I've been expecting you," a girly voice said. I looked around nervously, anxiously trying to find the person that was speaking to me. I looked at the window where some of the light lit up part of the room. The laughter started again.

I shifted nervously and looked in the shadows near the window. I could faintly see two glowing red eyes. "Poor dear, she doesn't even know where she is or what's going on. She's even forgotten who I am…" The eyes moved closer to the light, until the light revealed Midnight's slim form in a cloak.

I gasped automatically and took a step backwards. Midnight snickered at this and took a step forward. "Where are we? Why did you bring me here?" I demanded. Midnight smiled, revealing her fangs and began to lunge to the side a little.

"Simple," she sneered. "I want the privilege of killing you all to myself. No one can save you now." She smiled, bolted to the side, and blurred with speed. I looked around, desperate to see where she went because I knew I would be at a disadvantage if I lost track of her.

Suddenly, I was grabbed on my shoulder and lifted into the air. Midnight's hand tightened on my shoulder, and I gasped in pain as it came close to breaking. Midnight showed her fangs with a crooked smile before lifting her leg and kicking me in the stomach. She let go of my shoulder and I flew all the way to the other side of the room. I crashed into the beat up looking couch that I hadn't noticed before.

I tried to push myself off the couch weakly. Coughs burdened my breathing and I noticed cuts all over my arms that were bloody and dripping. I realized that they were from the broken wood pieces of the couch. I tried to control the coughing, and calm my breathing as I heard Midnight's footsteps on the cold stone floor grow closer. She grabbed one of my arms and lifted it up to her face.

"Oh, don't tempt me, dear." I tried to tear my arm away from Midnight's grasp, but she only tightened her grip. She smiled down at me, and I returned the gaze with a glare.

Suddenly, I felt wind whip around me. I realized she had thrown me when I hit the wall. As I collided with the wall, I felt a sharp pain in my wrist, and I screamed out. I looked up at my wrist and saw a hook sticking all the way through it, holding me up on the wall, and leaving my body dangling by it.

Tears formed in my eyes, but I fought them and tried to keep from screaming anymore. I clenched my teeth and blinked rapidly. Midnight's laughter filled the room. I looked away from my now bloody wrist and back to Midnight who was now making her way from across the room.

"Please do scream all you want; it really sets the mood," she said, grabbing my leg and ripping me from the wall. I screamed as I flew through the air again, landing on a bed near the window. My screams escaped my mouth again as I clenched my bloody wrist only to find that the hook was still in it. It must have come off the wall with me.

"That should get the blood pumping," Midnight said appearing in front of the bed in a flash. She grabbed me by the neck, and lifted me in the air. I gasped as she walked towards the window with me.

"No…!" I choked out. She smirked, and stuck me out the window. I looked down at the bloody spikes, fear coursing through me.

"Good-bye, Mizuki Nightrain," Midnight said, sweetly, as if she were talking to a close friend. I closed my eyes and prepared for my death.

Yami's Point of View

I walked down the dark hall, looking for a door or something; anything that might lead me to Kiyo or Kairi or maybe just something that made sense. Doors began to appear as I continued down the hall. I opened some, finding nothing but empty bed rooms or random vacant rooms.

I began to jog, looking a bit more desperately as my stomach became uncomfortable again. The end of the hallway came into my view. I darted for it because there was a door, as if waiting for me.

I grabbed the knob, twisted it, and- BAM! I gasped when I ran right into the door, face first. I twisted the door knob and realized it was locked.

"Well, _that_ one is locked…" I muttered under my breath, turning to the side and sighing. I noticed another door, much darker than the one that was locked. I stepped forward and twisted the knob. This one opened with ease, and it revealed a dungeon like place with stone walls and floors. Chains hung from the walls and lay on the floors.

I stepped into it, a little hesitant but pushed by the uncomfortable feeling in my stomach. I looked around, and gasped when chains wrapped around my arms and legs. I was uplifted into the air, dangling loosely. I struggled against the chains.

"My dear Yami, you have fallen into my trap," a male voice said, and I could already tell it wasn't the voice from before. I looked down, and saw a blonde haired guy walking from the door I had just come from.

"Hello, Yami dear," he said, and I knew it was Leo because Kiyo had been telling me about a time Kairi had gone on a mission with two other guardians and had been confronted by Leo. And Leo was a Vampire…

I struggled against the chains, and he chuckled. He lifted my chin, and examined my body. On the up side, I had decided to wear long sleeves and skinny jeans. On the down side, I realized my clothes had changed into shorts and a skimpy tank-top.

"What did you do to me!" I demanded of Leo. He snickered, and smirked, examining my body further. He let my chin go, and lifted my shirt revealing my stomach. "Okay, that's enough!" I yelled.

"Hey, Yami, do you remember this?" he said, making a _pop_ noise with his finger and mouth. Fear sliced into my being as a memory of me sleeping in my dark room and being awakened by the loud popping replayed in my head.

"That was you all those nights in my room?" I accused, twitching. He laughed before pulling out a black marker. Without answering my question, he popped the marker cap off. He slowly drew a square on my stomach, which tickled! I laughed, and struggled as he drew. "Stop man that tickles!"

After he was finished with the square, he looked at it as if examining it was straight enough. He put the marker in his pocket, and threw his hand into the air. A dagger flew out of his sleeve and he caught it.

"Now, where to start?" he said, smiling a sick sadistic smile. I shuddered and he pressed the cold tip of the dagger's blade to my stomach. He lightly traced the square he had drawn, which made me laugh because it tickled.

"Stop that!" I yelled, jerking at the chains that bound me. Leo flashed his fangs in a smile. I shuddered and tried to desperately get out of the chains, because my stomach _definitely_ wasn't comfortable with what was happening.

"I wonder if you have lovely tasting blood. By the way your scent smells I wouldn't doubt it. Let me find out…" he muttered, trying to seem seductive. I couldn't control the whimpering that began to escape my lips, and I jerked at the chains more than before.

Leo moved closer towards my neck, and I brace myself for the bite that was coming next. Of all of the Vampire books that I've read, I didn't know what to think of this bite. Would it hurt like Edward's did? Or would it feel pleasurable like Lissa and Damon's did?

Leo grew closer, and my heart began hammering inside my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut, and prepared to die.


	26. Rescue Is On The Way

_**~Chapter Twenty-Five: Rescue Is On the Way**_

Yomi's Point of View

I sat there for awhile waiting for her to do something else to me, but nothing happened. I slowly stood up and listened very carefully for any sound before walking down the hall. I tried to stop my shaking but to no avail. Pictures of Negative, Kairi, and Yoru's dead bodies played over in my mind.

Suddenly, I was grabbed and I felt her nails puncture and drag down my arm. I gasped and tried to muffle the screams that were building up in my throat. When she was finished, she kicked me in the back and I flew across the room. I crashed into the wall.

I whimpered and twitched before falling off of the wall and onto the floor. She slowly walked over to me and grabbed my arm again before I could get up. Slowly, she squeezed my arm making the blood drip more. My arm became much sorer. I whimpered from the pain that felt like she was squeezing the very life out of my arm until she finally stopped and let it fall back to the ground.

I clutched it tightly and tears threatened my eyes. Noel crouched down on her knees, and put her hand on my shoulder. "What a pity, _little_ _sister_, but I'm sure no one shall miss you when you're gone."

As the words _little_ _sister_ registered in my mind, my teeth clenched in anger and I shouted, "I am _not_ your _little sister!" _I sprung up off the ground and, pulling my fist back. My fist was only an inch away from her face before she grabbed it and clenched it tight.

I heard a crack before I hit the ground again. After biting my lip to keep from screaming and holding in more tears, I looked up to find Noel gone. "Noel?" I questioned, forcing myself not to whimper. I stood, despite the throbbing pain in my arm and body. "Show yourself, coward!" I called.

A sharp pain and sickening crack caught my attention and I went flying forwards. My shoulder ached in pain as tears streaked my face. When I turned to face her, there was nothing.

I blinked the tears from my eyes only to be kicked in the ribs and feel them break under the force of it. "Stop!" I shouted in pain, feeling myself skid a few feet. I covered my face with my wrist and hand until I stopped sliding across the floor.

As soon as I stopped I was wrenched up by my wrist and felt it being crushed into splinters. "Help me!" I croaked, unable to get anything else out. Too bad no one could hear me…

Cuts and scratches began to cover me as her nails mauled at me; even though she was moving so fast I couldn't see her, I knew she was there, causing this. I just curled up as best as I could despite my wounds, and waited for her to stop.

After what felt like forever, I finally heard her voice say, "Oh, little sister, why won't you fight back?"

My eyes snapped open and landed on her. She was holding a dagger in one hand and sword in the other. I stood, and stumbled a little before taking a sharp painful breath; my ribs were like razors in my stomach.

I didn't want to resort to this, but this was life of death; I had to use my Vampyre senses. I relaxed my control on my senses, my strength, and my power.

"You don't want to hurt your _big sister_, do you? Oh, never mind. I just remembered you can't," Noel sneered. I squeezed my eyes shut and heard her getting closer. "You can't do _anything!"_

My eyes flashed open, and I darted forward. Without even hesitating, her arm flew up and sent me flying backwards. I blinked and fell to floor. Noel glared at me and her grip tightened on the weapons handles. On closer inspection, I saw dark purple liquid dripping from the blades of each weapon. I knew it automatically; poison.

I jumped up, and darted around her at Vampyre speed, knowing I had to get away from the poison. I darted down the hall despite the pain racking my body, and heard her following. I came to a dead end, and turned my head in time to see her throw the dagger at me.

I gasped when it pierced my shoulder, pinning me to the wall. Seconds passed as I took in the fact of what had happened. I grabbed the dagger in my hand, and pulled it out, wincing in pain. It fell to the ground with a clatter.

Then I felt the burning. It started at my wound and slowly began to spread. I only had a little time to live, and I _was _going to avenge my sisters and my Negative. Noel swung the sword at me, and I summoned Judgment and Forgiveness to block it. We danced.

The burning crept over my body as Noel and I fought and I continued to resist the urge to fall down in exhaustion and pain. My reflexes were slower than usual. When Noel's sword entered my thigh, I fell, unable to move anymore.

She ripped the sword from my thigh and crouched beside my now squirming form.

"You failed, Kiyomi," Noel said, calmly. She ran her finger across my bloody arm, collecting some of the blood before putting it in her mouth.

"Hmm…it's a shame, little sister, you could have joined me," Noel mused before standing. The burning sensation was everywhere now and my vision was blurring. My grip on my twin daggers loosened and my breathing became labored. I felt my conscious struggling to stay awake.

"Do you feel it; your life that is slipping away?" Noel whispered.

"I was _never _your little sister…" I breathed as my limbs jerked and twitched.

"Right; of course you were. You won't be for long though," she said motioning to me. Everything began to dim and my eyes fought against death. My limbs stilled and my breathing did as well.

"I'll be sure to tell Negative how you cried as I killed you. Then I'll take your place. Heh, say good-bye to your teddy-bear," Noel sneered.

"My…t…teddy…bear…!" And then it hit me. Everything I had seen or thought I had seen was a fake! Anger coursed through me. It was all an illusion and Noel had won! Tears fell from my eyes and I let them close.

_God, please help me to defeat Noel. Give me the health and the strength to do this. Help me and stand by me the whole way; in Jesus' name, Amen._

My eyes opened slowly to reveal Noel standing farther away than before. "Good-bye little sister," she said before turning to leave. As she did, the burning slowly came to a stop and was slowly replaced by a soothing warm feeling. A new strength began to fill me.

I clenched Forgiveness in my hand and pulled her to me. I streaked her blade across my arm, which didn't even hurt. As I did, I felt myself begin to heal. The scratches slowly faded to scars and my bones came back together. Power flooded through me and I clenched Judgment tighter in my hand as well.

My breathing returned to normal and Forgiveness and my body began to get a shining bright aurora around it. I relaxed and closed my eyes, feeling the power flow through me as I finished healing. Feeling my strength return to me, I opened my eyes again and began using my hand to push myself up off of the floor. The power continued to flow through me as I stood up and steadied myself.

Noel, apparently noticing how bright the room had gotten, turned as the light faded. I dashed up only a few feet away from her and said, "What about my teddy-bear?"

"That's impossible!" she growled.

"Oh is it? Watch me." I kicked the stunned Noel and she went flying backwards into the wall. She slowly peeled off and landed on her hands and knees. "Is that what you were looking for '_big sister'_?" I asked as I began making my way over to her. "Me to kick your stupid butt down?"

"If only you knew, little sister," she whispered. She glared at me, and vaporized into nothing.

"Coward!" I yelled, looking around.

"This isn't over, Kiyomi. We'll meet again, sister dear." Her voice slowly faded away. I backed away from the wall. I sighed heavily, and looked around the room. I noticed a door that hadn't been there before my fight with Noel.

Exhausted and close to fainting from it, I decided to go through it. When I opened the door, it revealed a stone hallway with other doors. From one, I heard screams that could only belong to Yami.

Without another thought, I ran for the door. I kicked the door in, not even pausing to open it like a civilized person. The wall crumbled some as the door flew off its hinges. Inside, a room waited with Yami hanging from the ceiling, and that Vampire freak, Leo extremely close to her neck.

"Hey freak! Get away from her!" I yelled, running into the doorway. Leo pulled back, and smirked. I took Judgment, and threw it as hard as I could at him. It hit his shoulder, but Leo did nothing. He didn't even flinch.

"Another little girl? Ah, but this one is Half-Vampire; no Half-_Vampyre_. Hmm, did Noel not finish you off?" Leo mused. For future reference, there is a difference between Vampires with an 'i' and Vampyres with a 'y.' I glared, and darted forward with my speed. He vanished just as I got right in front of him.

Judgment clattered to the ground. Without hesitating, I used Forgiveness to cut the chains binding Yami. She fell to her hands and knees, and I summoned Judgment back to my hand.

"Yomi, thank god you just came in here and saved me!" Yami said as I helped her to her feet.

"I heard your screams. Come on, twin, we have to find the others before Leo comes back," I said, pulling her with me. I paused to listen closely to any other screams. I forced my Vampyre senses to listen closer, and I faintly heard Mizu's screams coming from the blank wall in front of us. I kicked the wall that had been behind Yami when she was dangling from the chains. It crumbled to nothing and Yami gave me a look that told me she thought it was cool.

Mizu's screams were louder now, and I knew I was on the right track. I glanced down and saw a rope. I looked out of the hole in the wall and saw that it led to a mountain top. I quickly grabbed the rope, and pulled Yami out of the stoned room. We walked out onto a mountain top with stormy skies sending thunder and lightning across the darkened clouds.

I sighed when I heard Mizu's screams grow. I looked to the direction of her screams. A lone tower stood about thirty feet away. In the window, I saw Midnight standing; she had Mizu hanging out of it.

"Crap!" I groaned. I looked closer at the tower, looking for something I could catch the rope on.

"Is that…Mizu?" Yami asked as I did. I nodded and smiled when I found a hook. I lassoed the rope and threw it as hard as I could. It flew through the air and caught on the hook.

I tightened the rope, and ran over to a nearby tree. I tied it tightly to the tree and made sure it would support my weight. I picked up a stick. "What are you doing?" Yami questioned as I put the stick on the string and held it tightly.

"Okay, Yami, stay here. Don't move; don't even breathe!" I said carefully.

"I have to breathe!" Yami called as I jumped up and began sliding down the rope.

"Says who?" I yelled back.

"The Laws of Physics!" she shouted.

"The Laws of Physics have nothing to do with breathing, you dim wit!" I yelled. I glanced back at her and saw her make her mock "offended" face. I shook my head and smiled as I continued to ride the zip line.

Midnight's grasp loosened on Mizu and she slipped from Midnight's hand. She began falling and an ear splitting scream filled the air. I caught her hand, and smirked when I saw Midnight look up just in time to see me coming through the window with Mizu.

I kicked her right in the stomach and sent her flying backwards. She recovered as Mizu and I landed on the stone floor.

"What? Impossible! Noel was supposed to take care of you!" Midnight accused.

"Noel isn't so big and bad, now is she. You'll be a piece of cake!" I said, smiling. Mizu glanced around, taking in what had just happened to her.

"Yomi, dude, that was fucking awesome!" Mizu squealed.

"Language," I snapped, before I darted forward. Midnight glared and disappeared into dark mist. The dark mist took the form of a crow and flew out of the window. Thankful that I didn't have to fight neither Leo nor Midnight, I went to the window and called for Yami to zip line to the tower as well.

"Just make sure you don't let go!" I called to her as she looked down unsure.

"Looking down doesn't help!" Mizu called. I looked down at Mizu and laughed.

"Yea, it's a piece of cake as long as you don't let go!" I agreed. "And get a strong enough stick to hold your weight!"

When she was finally safe in the tower, Mizu, Yami, and I started down the long staircase of the tower.

Kiyo's Point of View

I hit the ground and cried out in pain as Raven placed his hand on my chest. Darkness pooled into me and filled the space around me. Tears streaked my face and more screams emitted from my mouth.

The Darkness pressed into me further, making me feel like I was going to die any moment. It was too strong. "How does that feel, Kiyo? You like the Darkness? Do you want to be a Dark Phoenix like me?" Raven whispered in my ear.

"Get the hell away from me!" I screamed. A strong force of Darkness covered me and I cried out. "Stop it, please!"

Raven laughed out and forced more and more of the toxic Darkness upon me. My screams grew louder and I felt myself literally dying because of the Darkness. I wanted my Ash so bad…

"Ash…" I whimpered. Raven's high pitched laughter twisted through the air again.

"Ash isn't here and neither is your stupid Guardian so shut your whimpering mouth up," Raven sneered. I felt more sobs shaking my body and I knew he was right; I was going to die.

Kairi's Point of View

"Yoru, where is Kiyo?" I called as we dashed through the dark forest. I tried to listen for the distant screams that Yoru could probably hear well. As we ran, I tried to open our connection more and let it give me a sense of where she was or why she was screaming.

As soon as our connection was completely open and free, it hit me like a cloud of smoke. Darkness coated me and coursed through Kiyo and me both. I groaned in discomfort, and Yoru sensed this. She grabbed my forearm and pulled me along faster. I nodded to her in appreciation. We grew closer to Kiyo's screams, and I began to fear; Kiyo was getting really weak.

When she came into sight, we were in a large meadow. She was on the very edge with none other than Raven. He was bent over her with his hand to her heart. Behind him, dark figures that I could only guess were the dead Phoenixes loomed, waiting for their master's orders

I growled in anger, and Yoru whispered, "Kuroyaku and Fira, I summon you both to my aid. Get those freaks away from Kiyo. Go!"

"You as well, Ryokua!" I shouted, not even trying with the element of surprise. Yoru and I dashed forward (as best as we could, considering I had a broken arm, deep cuts, and blood loss and Yoru had gashes from her head to her toes) and ran straight for Raven. At my outburst, he had glanced up. We stopped about ten feet away from him. Ryokua, Fira, and Kuroyaku swarmed the weird dead Phoenixes.

"Oh, how interesting. It seems Bara and Echo have failed to keep you at bay long enough for me to get the queen. Hmm, I guess I'll have to take care of the two of you myself." Raven stepped a few feet from Kiyo and snapped his fingers. "Get them!"

The dead Phoenixes moved towards Yoru and me. We nodded to one another, and ran forward despite our wounds. I swung Kuroyasha to the best of my ability; she cut through several of them.

As soon as the dead Phoenixes came into contact with my Kuroyasha, they screeched and faded away. Yoru smirked, and used Shiroyasha the same way. After awhile, there were no more dead Phoenixes to fight off. We turned to Raven, who was now standing over Kiyo. Kuroyaku, Fira, and Ryokua were flanking Yoru and me.

"Damn children!" Raven snarled. He picked Kiyo up by her wrist. She only dangled there and screamed at the Darkness. "She'll pay for your ignorance."

"No!" I screamed, and ran forward, Yoru right on my heels. I kicked him as hard as I could manage in a kick. He flew backwards and hit a tree, though he didn't seem very shaken.

Kiyo dropped to the ground, panting and whimpering. "Run! Get away Kiyo!" I told her, standing my ground as snarls ripped through Yoru's throat. Kiyo struggled to her feet and stumbled towards the other side of the meadow.

Raven glared, and waved his arms. Wind began blowing harshly, and Yoru and I gasped, but stood our ground. The wind swooshed harder and sent us flying backwards.

"Come, my children!" Raven called to any remaining dead Phoenixes (if there were any.) "We shall visit Mother again, soon." The wind increased, and made me close my eyes tightly. When it all stopped, I blinked and looked around to find them all gone.

Yoru stood near me panting with exhilaration and adrenaline as I was. I looked behind me and saw Kiyo curled up into a ball. I dashed to Kiyo who was gasping on the ground.

"Kairi!" she cried, clinging to me. I held her in a tight hug, trying to calm her down from the Darkness.

"Hun, it's going to be okay. Raven is gone, and now we're going to find Yomi, Mizu, and Yami, and we're going to get the hell out of this place," I soothed. After a few minutes, she calmed down, and I helped her to her feet. She was shaking and incredibly weak from all the Darkness that was still in the air.

Our weapons returned to Yoru and me. Yoru offered to carry Kiyo, and I agreed. Yoru picked Kiyo up, and cradled her. She clung to Yoru for dear life as we forced ourselves to move.

"Why didn't you use Haiiroyasha?" I questioned, trying to fill the silence. Kiyo shrugged.

"I was too scared…" she whimpered in a small fragile voice. That voice made me cringe. She was so weak, and close to the verge of fainting. Kuroyasha faded from me and into her lion form beside me. I leaned on her for support and walked as fast as possible.

After what seemed like miles of walking, we came to the door we had come from. I opened it, and told Kuroyasha to return to me. Yoru followed me in. She sniffed the air, and nodded to one of the doors in the stone hallway.

"They're in there," Yoru said. Kiyo nodded in agreement with Yoru and I led the way. We walked through the door, and came into a stairwell. Steps spiraled all the way up to the ceiling.

"Let's go!" I said. As soon as we started up the stairs, Yomi, Yami, and Mizu came jogging down them. I stopped in my tracks. Mizu and Yomi looked awful, and Yami was wearing some bootie shorts with a skimpy tank-top. On some of her stomach that was showing, I saw black ink.

"Um…?" I questioned to the three of them.

"Couldn't you have shown up about ten minutes ago?" Yomi asked, sounding a bit breathless. I looked up at her and her eyes were golden.

"Your eyes…are gold? What the hell is going on?" I asked.

"I let my Vampyre senses come out," Yomi said, taking a deep breath. She closed her eyes, and relaxed herself. When she opened her eyes, she had returned to their normal clear-blue. She slumped a little bit. Ah, Yomi had faced her Vampiric side. Though, Vampires and _Vampyres_ were two totally different species, but were both pronounced the same.

Vampyres are immune to the sun. Their eyes remain normal until they feed on blood, get emotional, or use their Vampiric nature, and even then, their eyes never turn red, but gold rather. Vampyres are super fast, agile, and really strong. Their hair and nails grow at extreme speed, and they age very slowly. Vampyres aren't immortal, are really pale, and only have sharp canines, not fangs. Vampyres can eat whatever they want, meaning garlic, normal food, or blood. Vampyres can turn others, but can also be born. Vampyres are usually from the Sanctuary rather than the Paranormal World.

Vampires have differences. They aren't immune to the sun, but spells can be placed on them to allow them to be in it. Vampires can eat both blood and normal food (including garlic) but they prefer blood. Without blood, they are never at their true potential. Vampires' eyes stay the same color their eyes were before they were changed. Yes, Vampires can change a victim. When Vampires get angry, upset, emotional, and yes, even lustful, their eyes turn bloody red, and their canine teeth grow into fangs. Vampires are really strong, fast, and can smell any scent and track it down ten miles away. Their hearing is amazing as well. Vampires are immortal and are from both worlds.

Both of the species contain venom in their saliva that enters the bloodstream when they bite their victims. There are many other varieties of Vampiric species, some that can't eat garlic, some that are born, some that can't reproduce, and even some that are almost Human with heightened senses. Yomi was a Half-Vampyre. She only had some qualities of Vampirism, and we were still learning about her abilities.

I was so caught up in my internal babble, and mental debate, I jumped when I heard Yoru saying something.

"Let's get to the infirmary until we can contact Ash," Yoru said. I nodded slowly, and sighed heavily. I was at the end of my rope, and hadn't been this drained since the first time I'd come to the Sanctuary.

We went down the rest of the stairs and out of the door. I gasped when the door lead to a long bridge instead of the hallway from before. Yoru and I exchanged confused glances, but remembered that it was all an illusion so it could all change whenever it wanted to.

We crossed the bridge and Mizu stepped forward. "This is where I came out of the wall," she said, touching it. As soon as her skin came in contact with it, wind blew around us. I gasped, and grabbed onto Yoru and Kiyo automatically.

Suddenly, we were in a castle hallway. Feeling relief course through me, I leaned against the wall. "Which way to the infirmary?" Mizu asked.

"I'll lead the way," Kiyo whispered.

Yoru gave her a questioning look and asked, "Are you sure, Kiyo? Can you walk?"

"Yea, I'm fine," Kiyo said, smiling. Yoru slowly put her on her feet. Yoru and I (with my good arm) helped support her weight as she guided us through the still darkened hallways. After a few minutes of struggling in the dark, Yomi flicked her wrist and all the lanterns in the hallway lit.

"Thanks, that was definitely needed," Mizu laughed. We let the laugh calm the atmosphere. We arrived at the infirmary after finally getting through the dimly lit halls.

"Get Kiyo on the bed over there, Kairi," Yoru said. I nodded, and helped Kiyo to a bed. Yomi collapsed on the one beside her. Mizu held her hand up after sitting on Kiyo's other side.

I gasped when I saw there was a bloody hook sticking out of her wrist. I quickly looked away. "Oh my…" I whispered. "That's just unnatural…"

"And it hurts like a fucker!" Mizu said cringing as she moved it.

"Language, Mizuki," Yomi groaned. Yami had her tank top pulled up off of her stomach showing a square that had been drawn. My eye brows rose. Yoru motioned for me to help her with getting supplies to fix everyone up.

We went into the medical cabinets, and searched for alcohol and bandages. In the midst of our search, Kiyo yelled out. I turned automatically, ready to summon Kuroyasha.

"Ash is here!" she yelled, with her eyes closed. She must have seen it through his eyes. "They won the battle and they're on their way into the castle."

"Wait they're here?" I asked, and as soon as I said it, the lights came on, and Lancer, Axel, and Archer appeared before us.

"Kairi!" Lancer yelled. "Are you alright?" he demanded. I gasped as he charged towards me. Archer and Axel did the same to their masters.

"Where were you?" I questioned as Lancer put his arms around me. I silently winced when his arms touched my slashed back. I also felt very conscious of the fact that he was holding me tightly to his chest…

"We were trapped! Like a mental prison. We couldn't get out no matter what we tried," he explained, pulling back. I winced again when he touched my shoulder. "Oh my god, young master…" he whispered, actually taking in my appearance.

"I'm fine," I said quickly. It was a lie, and he definitely didn't buy it.

"Who did it?" he demanded. I blinked, and felt the rage he felt.

"E-echo?" I whispered unsure. His fists clenched, and he stepped away from me.

"Echo will die!" he growled. I blushed. I glanced over to Axel who was looking over Kiyo who was physically fine, but mentally a train wreck. The Darkness had messed her up really bad. Axel was holding her hand worriedly.

My eyes floated to Archer and Yoru. Yoru was telling him she would be fine and to not worry for her because they were just cuts, though I knew now that the adrenaline was wearing off, the blood loss was taking its toll on her. He was having a miniature panic attack or something.

Suddenly, the doors busted open. My hand shot to my mouth when I saw Ash, Nightmare, Tai, and Negative standing in the doorway. About ten seconds passed, very slowly as everyone took in the scene and what would happen next.

"What. Happened?" Ash demanded as he saw Kiyo and the rest of us. Yomi's eyes widened and she rolled off the bed, hitting the floor because she knew Negative was going to go off.

"We were attacked," Yoru said after a long pause because everyone else was too bewildered to speak. Ash took a slow deep breath.

"Nightmare, take care of Yami. Tai take care of Mizu," Ash said through clenched teeth.

"Of course, my lord," they said in unison. Yami went still as Nightmare walked up to her.

"What wounds do you have?" Nightmare questioned gently. Yami's eyes widened.

"That's the voice!" she shouted. We all turned and gave her a questioning look. She looked around. "Uh…never mind."

I shook my head in confusion, and watched Tai approach Mizu who was still psyched out by her wrist. When she looked up, she automatically went quiet, and blushed.

"That doesn't look too pretty," Tai remarked as he examined her wrist closer. Mizu stayed quiet as if not sure what to say. My attention returned to Ashu-Niisama who had started talking again.

"I'll take care of Kiyo. Axel," he said bitterly, and glaring at the name, "I'll need your help to keep Kiyo calm while Clover helps her with Light. Negative help Kiyomi," he muttered, motioning to Yomi who was still on the floor. Negative was dead silent as he slowly made his way to Yomi.

"Lancer, will you fetch the other members of my inner circle. We need Clover in particular. Rath would be helpful as well," Ash asked. Lancer clenched his teeth, but nodded. He faded away.

"Kairi, Yoru," Ash addressed us. "What happened?" Yoru and I looked at each other.

Twenty minutes later, Lancer was sitting beside me on my bed as he and Rath dressed my wounds that had already been stitched. Yoru sat near us with Archer cleaning her wounds and dressing the rather bad ones.

Yomi was resting, and Negative was watching her chest rise and fall with a soft rhythm. Mizu was whining about her wrist aching while Tai stitched it and Yami was reluctantly letting Nightmare scrub the square off of her stomach.

Ash, Clover, and Axel were with Kiyo. Clover was sending short bursts of Light into Kiyo, hoping to counter act the effects of the Darkness. Ash held her hand as this happened.

Yoru and I had explained everything that had happened. I was exhausted, and worn out. As soon as they finished dressing my wounds, I leaned back into Lancer's arms.

"Rest well, Kairi. You were very brave to fight so fiercely," Rath said. I nodded, too weak to say anything else. Lancer leaned back with me still in his arms. His presence was relaxing, and I easily fell asleep.

10


	27. Paradox Of The Heart

_**~Chapter Twenty-Six: Paradox of the Heart**_

"Kairi?" I heard a distant voice call. I slowly opened my eyes to see Yoru sitting beside my bed. She had a few band-aids here and there, and several bandages on her arms, but she looked much better than the last time I'd seen her before I had fallen asleep.

"Hey," I whispered. My eyes were still drowsy when I tried to sit up. She put a hand on my shoulder and gently pushed me back down. "I'm fine, Yoru," I insisted.

"Heh, take it easy, Guardian," she laughed. I rolled my eyes, and shrugged.

"Where is everyone? How are they?" I asked. Yoru pointed to the bed beside me. Kiyo was laying there looking peaceful. I smiled, feeling a bit more relieved. "And Yomi and Mizu?" I questioned.

"Yomi is right there," she said pointing to the other bed beside mine. "Mizu is with Yami helping Rath with the upcoming ball this Sunday. They moved it because of the attack on us." As she explained this, I glanced over at Yomi. She was also resting peacefully. I felt myself relax more.

"Don't worry, we've got things under control, Kairi," I heard Ash call from the door. I looked up to see him walking in with a grin on his face.

"Ashu-Niisama," I smiled. He nodded and walked farther into the room. Yomi stirred, and woke as well.

"Good morning, Yomi," Ash said. She yawned and smiled.

"Morning bro," she said. She looked around as I had, and saw that we were okay. "So, what'd I miss?"

I laughed and found it painful to do so. I groaned loudly to show my discomfort. Ash laughed and shook his head. "Ah Kairi, look what you get yourself into. You've missed nothing except me postponing the ball yet _again_," Ash sighed. "We usually have it much earlier, but my little trip around the world delayed us a bit."

"When will it be?" Yomi questioned.

"Sunday," Yoru and I answered in unison. She nodded, and stretched a bit before sitting up slowly. At that time, Negative walked into the room and right up to Ashu-Niisama. Yomi's eyes lit up.

"My Lord, Rath is in need of your assistance in the dining hall," he said directly to him. Ash nodded.

"Hmm, tell him I'll be there soon, and that Kairi and Yomi have both woken up," Ash said cheerfully. Negative nodded, and walked away. My mouth dropped open in surprise. He didn't even glance back at Yomi.

I looked to her to see the same surprised and shocked look. I looked to Yoru who hadn't seemed to notice because Ash had began talking again.

"Yomi, you'll probably be able to leave. Besides, I'll need your help with _Sylea Isieri Lyteria_," Ash said the last part with a strange accent; one I had never heard.

"What does that mean?" Yomi, Yoru, and I asked in unison before we all looked at each other and laughed.

"In Olden Paranormal Language, it means 'A night reflecting what stars shall remember.'"

"There's an Old Paranormal Language?" I asked, amazed.

"Of course there is. It's just like Old English, right?" Ash laughed. "But I have to get going. Yoru, if you'd like you can help Yomi with her errands, or you can stay here with Kiyo and Kairi. It doesn't make a difference for today."

"Thank you, Ash. I'll probably stay here, and keep Kairi company though," Yoru said. I gave her a thankful look and she gave me a look that said, 'Duh I'm staying with you! Working over spending the day with you? No way!'

Ash nodded, and said, "That's fine. Come now, Kiyomi. We have work we must do."

"Okay. See you guys later. Hope you feel better, Kairi," Yomi called as she stood and followed Ash out the door.

Afterwards, my mind drifted immediately to Lightning, who would probably want to meet tomorrow…

As if the thought had summoned him, I felt him enter my mind.

_My lovely Kairi, what happened?_ He demanded in my head. I winced at the worry in his voice. I told him of everything that had happened. He was solemn afterwards.

_I see. Now I know why Bara, Noel, Leo, Echo, Midnight, and Raven weren't seen at the battle. The battle was just a distraction so the others could get their dirty little hands on your neck. And Raven and Echo both know you're alive now…Let's just keep our fingers crossed that they don't tell anyone,_ he thought.

_ Yea…but Yomi said Noel seemed to know I was alive, too…_ I whispered the thought.

_Maybe they all knew then…_

_But how? And does that mean everyone knows?_ I questioned.

_I don't know, love. But whatever the case may be, I will not allow you to ever get hurt again,_ he vowed. _I'll meet you tomorrow in the Gardens where we usually meet. Try to meet a little early. I have a lot to do tomorrow. _It made me smile, and I knew things would be okay; somehow, they would work out, even though he was engaged to Midnight, and we were enemies. Things would work out.

Mizu's Point of View

"I'm going out to one of the fountains. I'm sure there are some people roaming the gardens that need to be accounted for at the ball. I'll meet up with you in about an hour. Is that okay?" I asked Yami as she was walking around the dining room.

"That's fine. I'm going to keep cleaning up here. Besides, someone might come in here," she said, waving her hand dismissively. I agreed and left for the gardens.

As I walked, my mind trailed back to Tai. I remembered yesterday when he was stitching my hand up and blushed. He was so nice…and he was so amazingly hot! I giggled to myself as I continued down the hall.

I finally arrived in the Gardens, and went straight for the biggest fountain that was in the South-East part of the Gardens. I sat on the edge of it, and looked down into the water. Fish swam freely in through it. Fascinated, I reached into it and gasped when it was really cold.

One of the fish came up to my hand, and brushed its fins against my skin. I giggled, and moved my hand around the water. The little fish followed my hand. "Aww! I should keep you in my room!" I said excited.

I was about to pick it up when I heard someone clear their throat. "What are you doing?" I heard a very familiar voice say. A blush spread across my face, and I turned to face the person who had made it. Tai stood there in all his glory. His brown hair was messy in a cute way, and his golden eyes were examining me beside the fountain with my hand in the water.

"Uh…Hi," I giggled awkwardly.

"Hello," Tai said, walking forward and stopping beside the fountain as well. I pulled my hand out of the water. I quickly wiped it on my jeans, and stuffed my hand in my pocket to warm it back up.

It _was_ winter…but I guess it was the Paranormal World so fish could live in really cold water.

"So you were going to take one of the fish?" Tai asked, finding it amusing.

"Well…yea. I like water. And I like fish. And this fish likes me!" I said pulling my good hand back out and pointing to the one that had followed me. He chuckled, and moved closer to me.

"Isn't your hand cold from the water?" he asked.

"Uh…yea, a bit," I stuttered. Tai smiled, and took my hand in both of his. My cheeks heated up as the warmth of his hands brought feeling back into mine. "Thanks," I muttered feeling stupid that I couldn't stop blushing. He probably saw it! It was so bright red!

"You're quite welcome. My name is Tai, though I'm sure you already knew that," Tai said, laughing. I nodded, and laughed along with him. Who _didn't_ know Ash's inner circle by name.

"I'm Mizuki. But just call Mizu," I said, sounding like a complete dork.

"Mizu…hmm, water, eh?" he asked about my name.

"Yea, my name means water because I love water so much," I said. He nodded, and smiled. I remembered I was supposed to be helping Ash with the ball, so I asked, "Oh, uh, are you going to the ball on Sunday?" Then I froze, and realized he probably thought I had just asked him. Shit! "I mean, not that I was asking you to go, but it was for Ash! Because he needs to know these things so he can prepare enough food!" I said quickly.

Tai laughed out loud, and said, "Calm down, Mizu. I understand. And…" he paused and winked at me. "Yea, I'll be going." My cheeks blushed deeper and I nodded quickly.

"Well, as much fun as it was meeting you, Mizu, I must go to help Lord Ash as well. Maybe we'll meet again. Soon," he said, smiling. He lifted my hand to his mouth, kissed it, and walked away.

My world spun as I watched him. I had to tell Yami about this!

Yami's Point of View

I looked around the room, and saw no sign of anyone. Maybe I should check another place for people that might be going to the ball… When I was about to leave, the door opened, and Nightmare came in. Really? Nightmare of all people?

I quickly hid behind the nearest plant. He walked by, and paused. He sniffed the air, and looked around. I lost my balance, and went falling forward. The plant turned over with me. Damn it!

Nightmare turned to see what had made the crash. When he saw me, he smirked and knelt down beside me. "Hey," he said simply.

"Hi," I said, pushing myself off the floor.

"So, was there a reason you were hiding from me behind a plant?" Nightmare asked cockily.

"I wasn't hiding!" I said. He held out his hand, offering to help me up. I took it, and stood.

I went to pick the plant up, but Nightmare said, "No it's fine. I'll get it." I stepped back and let him clean it up. He then stood, and faced me. "So, your name is Yami?"

"Yea. And your name is Nightmare?" I asked. He nodded.

"And you're single?" he asked, winking. My mouth dropped, and I couldn't help the blush spreading across my face. Don't judge me! He was really hot…

"Maybe…" I said, smiling.

"I guess I'll have to find out by doing this," Nightmare smirked. He leaned forward, and kissed me! Right on the lips, he kissed me! At first I couldn't react because I was so surprised, but I soon let my eyes slip closed and melted into the kiss.

It was a good kiss. It lasted a few moments before he pulled back and smiled cockily at me. I smiled dreamily, and shook my head a bit trying to clear it. "Yea…I'm single," I said, giving him a flirty smile.

"That's comforting. I didn't want to get in trouble with your boyfriend for kissing you. Someone as beautiful as you would have had a good one," he said, touching my chin.

"Why thank you for the compliment. And I must ask on the behalf of Ash, are you going to the ball?" I asked, trying to sound formal.

"Only if you're willing to come with me," Nightmare challenged.

"It's a date," I said. He smiled, and stepped back.

"I'll see you around then?" he asked.

"Soon, I hope," I said. He waved and walked away, leaving the room. For a few seconds, I just stood there. Had that really just happened? Did I really just kiss Nightmare?

For the first time since my friends disappeared from the Human World and left Mizu and me alone, I felt normal. I felt like a normal teenager that could have crushes and like boys. I felt free and not bound by my friends' destiny and my own. And I was going to the ball with Nightmare!

Yomi's Point of View

The rest of the day passed without me seeing a single sign of my Negative. I helped Ash with cleaning the ballroom today. After we finished, we began decorating. Yami and Mizu had been off asking people if they were going to the ball to get a head count.

Near the end of the day as dinner neared, Kairi joined me from the infirmary. She told me she had healed up and just had a few open wounds that were closing. Clover had helped her broken arm heal much faster than normal, even for the Paranormal World standards.

She and I had finished up for the day when we were on our way to find Yoru who had stayed behind to watch Kiyo. When we arrived at the infirmary, Ash was sitting beside Kiyo, murmuring quietly. Yoru stood near him, watching Kiyo.

We walked over to them, and I placed a hand on Ashu-Niisama's shoulder. Kairi looked Kiyo over with a worried look. "Is she any better?" she asked.

"She's much calmer now. Her mind has drifted into peace instead of constant nightmares," Ash said quietly. Kairi nodded and stepped back. "Well, I'm sure the three of you are hungry. Meet up with Yami, Mizu, and Grace-Lilly. They should be in the dining room with Rath. I'm going to stay with Kiyo until she wakes up."

"Alright. We'll see you soon, brother," I said, squeezing his shoulder. Kairi nodded in agreement, and the three of us left the infirmary. We walked until we arrived at the dining hall in silence.

Once we walked in, I heard Mizu and Yami gushing about something that had to do with Nightmare and Tai. Confused, I approached them with Yoru and Kairi. Lilly was talking with Rath not too far away. I shuddered at the last memory we all shared of Lilly when she had been dragged into the Darkness. I'm guessing they had found her.

"So, you're telling me you're going to it?" Mizu asked sounding excited. Yami nodded exuberantly.

"What are you guys talking about?" Kairi asked. They both looked up and started talking at the same time, both of their voices had rose above of an 'inside voice.'

"Calm down!" I said, holding up my hands. "Now explain slower; one at a time!" I added quickly.

"Tai and I met at the fountain and he held my hand and he winked at me and said he wanted to meet up again!" Mizu said in one breath. I could tell she was fighting to control her excitement.

"And I'm going to the ball with Nightmare! He kissed me!" Yami said, unable to hide the smile on her face.

"Awesome!" I said. "Love is in the air." Kairi laughed, but I could tell on the inside it actually hurt her. I could feel that she wished her and Lightning could go to the ball together.

Sensing this too (despite the fact that they didn't have a connection what-so-ever) Yoru said, "You guys are a bunch of love birds. Me and Kairi are the only normal ones here. Right, Kairi?" she laughed.

"Yep! We're L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S," she said. "Loves Others Very Equally; Like Everyone's Sisters Son!" She struggled through it, making it up on the spot, but it did its job; everyone began laughing, even her.

"Yea man! Team L.O.V.E.L.E.S.S!" Yoru laughed, and they both high-fived. We sat down beside Mizu and Yami as Ash's castle servants served dinner. The two of them continued gushing about their experiences with men today as we all ate. Afterwards, Kairi went her separate way from the rest of us to check on Ash and Kiyo.

Mizu and Yami went to their shared room, and Yoru and I went to mine. We spent an hour just talking about memories from the past and how much we missed her going to the Sanctuary. We laughed at inside jokes and made fun of Kairi some.

Finally, Yoru left for her room, and I changed into some comfortable clothes to sleep in. I laid down on my bed, and closed my eyes. As I slowly drifted towards unconsciousness, Negative's strange behavior entered my mind. Blowing it off, I let myself relax and go to sleep.

The next morning, I woke to the sun's rays on my face. I blinked, and stretched a bit before sitting up and climbing out of bed. I changed into some skinny jeans, and a sweater. I then brushed through my hair and pulled it back into a large ponytail.

I pulled my cell phone out (that was pointless in the Paranormal World except for telling time) and checked the time. Seven in the morning. Not so bad. I still had time to take a walk through the Gardens.

I pulled on some combat boots, and left for the Gardens. When I arrived, I smiled as a cool breeze wafted through the air. For a winter morning, it was a bit warmer than I expected. I walked to my favorite fountain, the one Negative and I talked at when we wanted to be alone.

When I came to the fountain, I saw that I wasn't the only one there. Negative was sitting on the edge of the opposite side I was standing on. I opened my mouth to greet him, but closed it back almost immediately. What if he was mad at me..?

I looked at him for a good few seconds before deciding to talk to him anyways. "Hey," I said sweetly. Negative went rigid for a few moments before looking back at me. He then stood, and walked away without a word, or even a glance back.

Hurt coursed through me, and I felt my stomach clench. _I did something wrong, and now he's mad at me!_ I screamed at myself in my head. I turned the other way, and darted back to the castle, up the stairs, down the hall, and right into the one person's room that I knew would understand things when it came to love; Kairi.

The door busted open, and bounced a bit off the wall. Kairi lay there quietly, deeply breathing, and sleeping peacefully. Kuroyasha lay on her bed with her, which was strange for them. I ran to her side of the bed, and yelled, "Kairi! Get up! I'm going to lose it, man! It's a crisis!"

She stirred a little, but didn't wake up. Kuroyasha's ears perked a bit before her head rose. "Kairi!" I yelled, and slapped her face. She gasped, and shot straight up in her bed.

"What? What's going on?" she shouted, jumping up and stumbling a bit before steadying herself from the drowsiness. Kuroyasha rose and began growling angrily, ready for a command from her master if any immediate danger were to follow with my news.

"It's so awful, Kairi!" I cried out, on the verge of tears. "Negative is angry with me, and he's ignoring me!"

"Oh my god, Yomi! It's going to be okay!" she said, hugging me. "That's awful!" Kuroyasha shook her large head, and put her paw over her face in an exasperated way, obviously not expecting such a small problem.

"I know!" I said, leaning into her comforting hug. I explained to her about the fountain incident that had just taken place. She comforted me, and held me while I named random things that I could have done wrong.

"I guess that makes two of us that aren't going to the ball…" Kairi sighed with one of her hands on my shoulder. I shrugged.

"Yea, I guess since he's mad, he doesn't want to go…" I whispered.

Kairi gave me an apologetic look before saying, "Hey…Yomi, I'm supposed to meet Lightning today. In the Gardens."

I sighed aloud and nodded. "Can you hurry back?"

"Of course. I won't be long, only a few minutes. I'll see you soon, okay?" she asked, as if asking permission.

"Sure. Do what you have to do," I said. She smiled, and hugged me again before jumping up, and darting to her wardrobe to change. What was I going to do with that girl?

Kairi's Point of View

After changing my clothes, I ran all the way to the Gardens, and to _our_ spot. I sat on the bench that we first talked together on after he knew my true identity. Minutes passed, and there was no rustle of the bushes, or whisper from near me.

After awhile, I felt a tear streak down my cheek. I gasped because I hadn't even felt it form in my eye. I quickly wiped it away, and felt the sadness and pain of missing Lightning. Before I could stand, and go back to Yomi, Lancer appeared before me.

"My lady, I'm sorry that he didn't come," he said, sincerely. I nodded, and faked a smile despite another tear that ran down my face.

"No, silly. It isn't your fault. Don't apologize," I said.

"Is that an order?" he asked, raising an eye brow.

"Well…no, but it's still the truth. You shouldn't feel sorry for something that is out of your hands."

"Is it okay if I try to cheer you up then? Since I can't say I'm sorry," he said, smirking that he had found a loop hole.

"Fine," I said, unable to hide the smile forming across my lips.

"Let's walk," he said, holding his hand out. I hesitated, but nodded, taking it in mine. He lead me away from the bench and out into the Garden Courtyard. We took a left and walked into one of the flowery trails through it.

Ash's servants were scattered here and there, pulling weeds and pruning plants, especially the really withered and dead ones that had died from the cold weather. Lancer and I made small talk and we never let go of each other's hands. The feeling was a calm one because we both understood each other and it didn't feel wrong or awkward.

After a wonderful walk through the Gardens and past all seven fountains, Lancer and I had ended up in the Garden Courtyard again. He was babbling and I was just listening to it, enjoying the time we were spending together. He had made me smile, and laugh despite my longing to see Lightning.

"The ball will be wonderful. I really am looking forward to seeing it," he was saying. "But, the problem is…" He paused, and looked down. His thoughts clouded themselves from me, and I looked at him in confusion.

"What is it?" I asked. He looked up at me and was blushing (which I found very adorable…)

"I can't go to the ball without a date," Lancer said, smiling. He squeezed my hand, and his smile turned sheepish. "Would you please do me the honor of going to the ball with me, Kairi?"

The sound of my name coming from his mouth made another tear streak down my face. He looked at me concerned, but I just smiled. "Of course! That would be…that would be great," I said, feeling a bit breathless. He sighed in relief, and wiped the tear from my cheek.

"Good. That's wonderful," he said. I could feel the relief coming from him it was so strong. "I'm sure His Majesty needs some assistance, so I'll let you go now. I'll be helping with the King." He bowed, kissed my hand, and disappeared.

My hand went to my mouth in surprise as I let the fact that Lancer and I were going to the ball together sink in. Then I ran for my room. Yomi was going to flip.

Yomi's Point of View

I sighed, and leaned back on Kairi's bed. Kuroyasha yawned and shifted, disrupting the silence. I looked around, and went to Kairi's bookshelf, trying to pass the time away. I sifted through the books that she had, seeing if she had anything that would be interesting.

When I came upon the book called _Heart Wrenching Sorrow,_ I paused. I'm not sure what made me stop because usually I was a happy person, and would have frowned upon such a depressing title for a book.

Instead, I picked it up, and read the back of it. It described a love triangle between a guy and two other girls. It also promised a very depressing and tear-jerking end. What I did next surprised me, even to this day. I smiled, and held onto the book. I slipped it into the side pouch I had around my waist, and zipped it closed.

As if on cue, Kairi came crashing through her door, looking excited and a bit breathless. I raised my eyebrows and guessed that her and Lightning had a good time. She began gushing about her and Lancer which threw me completely off. Lancer? Wasn't she with Lightning?

"Explain this in better detail please?" I asked, holding up my hand up. She told me that Lightning hadn't showed up and instead she and Lancer had spent the last hour and a half together in the Gardens. She said that he had asked her to the ball and that they were going together.

"So…you mean to tell me," I said, pausing, "You spent the last hour and a half out in the Gardens having a wonderful time with Lancer while I was in here suffering because Negative is ignoring my existence? That's painful, man. I feel the love." I said this mostly as a joke, but knew she would feel bad.

"I'm sorry, Yomi! We lost track of time!" Kairi said, hugging me tightly, and spinning me in the air. I laughed for a moment when she sat me down, but then sighed.

"Lord Ash is probably waiting for us to help him with the invitations," I muttered.

"Yea, and plus, I'm sure Kiyo is up now," Kairi said, punching my arm gently. I smiled a bit, and nodded. We both left to go to the infirmary to check up on Kiyo and Lord Ashu-Niisama.

When we arrived, Kiyo was awake, just as Kairi had said. Ash was catching her up on everything she had missed. After listening to them for awhile, and making sure Kiyo was okay and could leave the infirmary, we left for the dining hall to eat some breakfast. Then, we went to the ball room to help Ashu-Niisama.

10


	28. Preparation

_**~Chapter Twenty-Seven: Preparation~**_

"So, I have to go around and ask people if they're going to the ball. And if they are, check yes beside their name; if not, then check no. That's simple enough," I said.

Ash nodded, and said, "Exactly. Ask around and find out. Kairi, you'll be staying with me and helping with decorations in the ball room."

"Okay! I can do that," she said, smiling. Ash chuckled at her exuberance and turned to me. I nodded, and left before he could say anything else; I knew he was going to tell me to get started.

Yami's Point of View

I walked down the hallway from my room. Mizu was going to the Gardens again to see if she could run into Tai. As for me, I was going to find Nightmare. Ash had told me that I didn't have to worry about helping him today, and that I was free to do whatever I wanted.

After roaming the whole floor that our rooms were on, including the West Wing, I went into the Garden Courtyard, and looked around for him. With no luck, I wandered around the Gardens for him, stopping at the section that would be open for the ball. When I was about to give up, I saw him helping with decorations.

He was alone, and wrapping lights around a Christmas tree. I walked up to him, and put a hand on my hip. He glanced down at me from the stool he was standing on, and smiled.

"Hey there," he said.

"Hello, how are you?" I asked. He shrugged and climbed down from the stool. Once down, he hugged me lightly, and pulled back to see my face.

"So you've returned? I guess that means yesterday wasn't a dream after all," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes and leaned closer. "How could it have been? It was too good to be a dream."

"Very true," he murmured before kissing me again. This time I automatically kissed him back, and got wrapped in the kiss. Everything after that was a blur of nothing but his soft lips on mine, and the taste of his tongue.

The next thing I felt was a sensation of spinning. When the sensation stopped, I opened my eyes and pulled back to breathe. Nightmare was under me, and we were lying on a grassy spot beside a hill. I shook my head, a bit confused, but went back to kissing him.

"…and Ash needs to know if you're coming to the…" I heard Yomi's voice saying from a distance. I gasped, and jumped up. Nightmare looked up lazily at me, and glanced to Yomi who had froze in place not so far away.

My cheeks began burning brightly. Yomi began laughing, and said, "Ash wants to know if you're going to the ball."

"Yep. Together," Nightmare said standing, and taking my hand. I smiled awkwardly, and hid my cheeks in his chest.

"That's good. I'll add you to the list," Yomi said. "Oh and one more thing, Twin…" She paused for a few moments. "Don't forget; no sex before marriage!" My cheeks blushed worse.

"Yomi!" I called after her. She laughed, and waved as she disappeared into the castle door that led to the ballroom. Nightmare laughed, and hugged me.

"Well, I think Lady Kiyomi likes me," he chuckled. I shook my head in embarrassment, and looked up at him.

"Yea. I think so, too," I said sarcastically.

Mizu's Point of View

I stopped at the large fountain, looking up at it in wonder. Water sprayed from the top, and fell gracefully back into the main pool of water. I sat on the edge, watching the fish like I had yesterday. Maybe Tai would come back today and look for me to be here.

The thought put a smile on my face, and I continued to play with the one fish that liked me. It floated around my hand, and brushed against my skin playfully. I waited for what seemed like hours and hours.

I groaned, and put my cold hand back in my pocket. "Hey, it's the water girl again," I heard his voice from behind. I gasped, and turned quickly. He was standing right near me, his hands in his pockets and a scarf around his neck.

"Hi," I said stupidly. I mentally slapped myself, and said, "What brings you here?"

"I came to see if you would be here again today," Tai said, touching my cheeks. He smiled when they blushed. "You know, that's really cute. When you blush, I mean."

"Really?" I asked. He nodded, and held his hand out for mine. I smiled, and gave him my cold one. He held in tightly, and closed his eyes. His hand warmed even more, and warmed mine with it.

He opened his eyes, and smiled gently at me. "Better?" I nodded sheepishly. "Good. I like it when I can help you."

"I like it when you help me. And I like being around you. You make me feel special, and secure…" I whispered. He lifted my chin gently.

"You are special," he said. "You can be my little water drop." I smiled, and hugged him.

"I like the sound of that," I breathed. He hugged me back, and pulled back.

"As do I," Tai whispered. "You seem to like this fountain a lot. Is there a reason?" he asked motioning to the one beside us.

"It's the biggest one, and it has fish," I said, smiling. He chuckled.

"Would you like to know about this fountain?" he asked, pulling back from the hug more and looking at me.

"Yes please," I said. He nodded, and began telling me about the fountain. The name of the fountain was The Fountain of Peace. Its water was purified, and it was made in honor of Lord Ash's peaceful reign. The fish were special, and could only live in purified water.

I listened to him, completely interested. When he was finished, we talked about random things like living in the Human World, my family, and life there.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked.

"Another one?" I asked, exasperated. I laughed when he nodded slowly. "Okay, fine. Shoot."

"Will you come to the ball with me?" He seemed to stop breathing as soon as he asked.

"Like, you mean together?" I asked, excited. He nodded, and chuckled, releasing his breath. "Yes, please!" I said, feeling bubbly inside.

"Of course, that's why I asked," Tai said. He kissed my cheek. "I want to go with you."

"I want to go with you too!" I said excited. He hugged me and held me for a little while; I enjoyed every second of it. He then proposed he had to leave and help with the ball, and we had to part ways.

Yomi's Point of View

After a long day of going around and asking people if they were going, I reported back to Ash. He gave me some praise, and told me to get ready for the dinner rehearsal (which Kairi didn't even know about until I had told her.)

We both walked back to our rooms together, and separated to get dressed. I chose a long blue dress, nothing special, but pretty. I put on some small heels, and the cross necklace Negative had given me when we still lived in the Human World.

When I came out of my room to meet Kairi, I found her in a short pink dress with flats. Always pink with her. Yoru and Kiyo were also there. Kiyo was in an elegant grey dress, and Yoru was wearing a sleek black one. Mizu and Yami come from their room in red and blue dresses.

"Shall we go?" Kiyo asked, formally.

"Let us," Yoru said, smiling. Kairi and I walked beside each other, and I slowly began to panic.

"Kairi, what if Negative is still acting really weird?" I whispered to her. She put a hand on my shoulder comfortingly.

"Hun, it'll be okay. He has to escort you, right?" she questioned. I nodded, and took a deep breath.

"What do I do if he ignores me? What should I do if he isn't there? What if he's mean Kairi?" I whispered frantically.

"Yomi calm down! It'll be okay. I'm here if you need back up," Kairi promised. I nodded slowly, and tried to swallow the knot that was forming in my throat as we approached the large oak doors (that were usually open for all) where Ash, Negative, Tai, Nightmare, Fear, Clover, Night Rider and Rath were standing at.

Kairi gave me an encouraging look and gave me a small tap on my back towards Negative. I nodded to her and walked towards him. I watched him carefully as I approached him. He glanced at me, and then looked to Ashu-Niisama as he began talking.

"This is just a rehearsal for the real thing that will happen on Sunday evening. Kairi and Yoru, you both will escort Kiyo and me. Nightmare, I'm guessing you'll be escorting Yami, and Tai, Mizu?" Ash asked, raising his eyebrows. Both nodded before going to Yami and Mizu's sides.

"Night Rider, Fear, Clover, and Rath all know what to do. Negative is escorting Yomi. Is everything clear?" Ash asked. Everyone nodded, and took our positions. Yoru and Kairi high fived just before the doors opened, leading us into the large dining hall. For the dining rehearsal, they had replaced the smaller tables with the really big one that everyone could sit at. The stole floor and walls gave the room a medieval look, but the candles and chandeliers gave off a warm glowing light. Yoru and Kairi walked in unison as cheers erupted from the table they were leading us to. Their cheers brought me out of my observing state.

Ash and Kiyo followed, arm in arm. When they reached the table, Yoru and Kairi pulled the chairs out for them, and moved to the side. Kairi and Yoru sat on opposite sides of them, Kairi on Ash's side and Yoru on Kiyo's. Negative and I sat on Kairi's other side, and the other couples filed into the room, and sat around Lord Ash.

Ash gave a short speech about how things would work on Sunday evening while I watched Negative from the corner of my eye. He was still, and was being very quiet. I turned to him, and looked at him full on. He noticed, and looked at me. He only stared, and never said anything.

_Kairi, he's making this really awkward! Make him stop!_ I screamed in Kairi's head. Kairi glanced over at us, but made it to where it looked like she was looking at the other side of the room instead of us.

_I'm on the case, Yomi-Chan!_ She thought sounding confident. She turned completely around, and faced the both of us.

"Hey, Negative, Yomi," she said, smiling. "How are you, Negative?" I looked to Negative. He glared at Kairi, and she fell silent. She laughed awkwardly. "Well, I can see that you're doing well, so I'm going to get some food. See you around."

_Kairi!_ I complained in my head as she turned the other way. I laughed awkwardly, and put something on my plate, despite my knotted stomach that complained about it.

The rest of the dinner was very awkward and filled with silence. Negative didn't talk to me, and I just tried talking to Kairi to keep my mind from assaulting me. After dinner, I went straight to my room, and closed the door right behind me. I collapsed on my bed, and began sobbing, long and hard. What had I done wrong?

Kairi's Point of View

I awoke in my room, stretched, and stood. I yawned and looked around. Lancer was lying on the other side of my bed. I smiled, and crawled over to him. "Lancer…" I whispered in his ear. He fidgeted when my breath tickled it. "Good morning…" I breathed.

He turned over on his right side to face me, and opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw me looking at him. "Hello, my lady," he murmured.

"Kairi," I said, automatically. "Stop calling me 'my lady.' It's alright."

Lancer shrugged and said, "It's a habit." I rolled my eyes, and ran my fingers through his hair. He smiled.

"I've got to get my bandages changed at the infirmary, and then we're going out for a girl's day out," I said, smiling. "We're getting our dresses today."

"Have fun, dear. And don't get into anymore trouble," he said, touching my cheek.

"No worries, I'll be fine," I said, smiling. A tinge of guilt tainted my mind as I remembered Lightning. He nodded before I stood again, and went to change, not really caring that he was watching. Did it really matter? He was my servant and it wasn't anything he hadn't seen before.

Yomi's Point of View

The next morning came and I woke up feeling groggy and slow. I sat up, and felt the dried tears on my face. I was still in the blue dress from the night before because I had cried myself to sleep. I even had my heels on from the night before.

I stood, and changed into some skinny jeans and a long sleeved shirt that had the word _love_ written across the front. I pulled the heels off of my feet, and slipped some socks and converse on instead. I didn't bother with my hair before leaving for the ball room; I knew Lord Ash would need help today because it was the day before the ball.

I started up the stair case and noticed immediately that Negative was coming down them. We passed, and I held my breath, hoping he'd say something. When he didn't, I felt something in me snap.

I turned the other way, and yelled, "Why won't you talk to me?" He gasped, and I lost my footing. I fell forward on top of him, and we both went tumbling down the staircase. When we stopped at the bottom, I was on top of him. He rolled, and flipped us both so he was on top of me.

Rath came around the corner at that time with his hand in Clover's. He snickered, and said, "Nice!" while dragging the 'I' in 'nice.'

"It isn't like that Rath!" Negative said through gritted teeth despite the slight pink in his cheeks. Rath laughed as he walked off with Clover as she scolded him playfully.

Negative's eyes looked at me intently. They examined me slowly, and I saw a flash of pain in his eyes, but nowhere else. He only stared.

Before I could breathe the words that were tumbling in my mind, he stood, and walked away, as if nothing had happened. Tears of anger and frustration filled my eyes as Grace-Lilly walked up. She gave me a confused look before holding her hand out to help me up.

I took it, and stood.

Negative's Point of View

I walked away quickly, taking a sharp right, and circling back. I crouched down behind the corner so I could watch My Yomi. "You look down. Are you okay, Yomi?" Grace-Lilly asked her. She shrugged, and looked back to where I had disappeared. "Are you going to the ball?" she asked, smiling. Yomi glanced longingly at the place I had left.

"No, I'm not," Yomi whispered. Grace-Lilly looked at her a bit concerned before stifling a yawn.

"Excuse me, I'm quite sorry. You seem to be in need of my comfort, but I can't help you because I have to rest. I'm up incredibly late, and I'm getting quite light headed from all this sun. Is there anything I can do?"

Yomi looked back at her, and put on a fake smile despite her eyes being watered. She shook her head, and said, "No, I'll be fine. It's okay Lilly."

"And you're sure?" Grace-Lilly questioned, not buying Kiyomi's performance.

"Yea of course. You should go rest. Get some sleep so you can be well rested," Yomi said. Grace-Lilly hugged her tightly.

"I'll be in my room if you ever need me," she offered. Yomi nodded, and they pulled apart. "Good-bye, Kiyomi."

"See you later, Grace-Lilly," Yomi said before sighing and watching her leave the way I had. She turned to go up the stairs, but froze in her place as Ren and some of his friends came down them. I glared.

"Hey, Kiyomi," Ren said, cockily. So he had gotten his confidence back. Great.

"Hi," she said bitterly. I smiled on the inside, but decided to not show it.

"These are my friends," Ren said motioning behind him. "Rai, Viktor, and Dane." He pointed to each of them as he said their names.

"You have friends?" Yomi asked aloud, and I almost laughed because I realized she hadn't meant to say it out loud.

"What?" he asked.

"What?" she asked trying to cover up her mistake. "I didn't say anything." Ren looked at her before slowly nodding. She was getting annoyed by this time, and said, "Look, I have to help Lord Ash with the ball. Bye." Yomi's voice held annoyance, and anger.

She stormed past them, without another glance back. Ren looked around dumfounded. His friends shrugged and they left. I grinded my teeth together, and heard footsteps approaching from behind.

I stood quickly, and turned around to find Grace-Lilly standing there. "I knew you were listening in. What are you doing?" she asked, sounding humored. I shrugged, returning to my emotionless self.

"Nothing," I said. "Just don't tell Kiyomi." She smiled as if she had just discovered something.

"Fine. I won't," she slowly, a smile growing across her face as she held her hand out. I shook it, and turned to leave.

Kairi's Point of View

"My queen, would you like this color or this color for the table cloths?" a servant was asking Kiyo as I helped her with carrying some decorations. She held to different fabrics, one dark blue and one dark green.

"Blue," she muttered as another servant came up, and asked another question.

"Would you like the normal candle colors for the dinner?" he asked. Just as he had asked, another two came and asked other questions. Soon we were swarmed by servants asking questions. Kiyo did her best answering the ones she could hear.

I was beginning to get annoyed and a bit claustrophobic. We had things to do today. "Break it up, guys. Give my love some space," I heard Ashu-Niisama say. We looked to where his voice was and saw him walking towards us.

The servants dispersed, and Kiyo seemed to relax a little more. "My love," he said, putting an arm around her waist. "You and the rest of your friends can go now. You've done a good bit of work. We can handle the rest, dear."

"Really? Are you sure you can get it all by yourself?" Kiyo asked.

"Yes, dear. We'll be fine. You and your friends can go and do what you want," Ash said, kissing her cheek. He moved over to me, and took the decorations from my hands.

"Can we go into town?" I asked, sounding hopeful. He raised his eyebrows, and seemed to be contemplating.

"I'm guessing you'd like to go shopping for your dresses, right?" Ash asked. I nodded, and smiled sheepishly. "That's fine. Who would be going if you do go?"

"Kiyo, Yoru, Mizu, Yami, Yomi, and me," I said, pursing my lips. He nodded slowly.

"Fine. You can go. I trust that you and Yoru, as Guardians-in-Training, will take care of the group and protect them if something is to go wrong?" Ash asked.

"Of course My Lord!" I said, bowing. Ash laughed and used his free hand to ruffle my hair. "Hey!" I said.

He chuckled, and kissed Kiyo on the cheek again before saying, "Be careful, and have fun." We nodded, quickly and began gushing as we rushed off to find Yoru, Yami, Mizu, and Yomi. Luckily, we found everyone except Yomi helping out with the ball.

We explained what Ash had said, and agreed to hurry and find Yomi so we could go get our dresses. After searching the castle for her, thinking she was off asking for last minute invites. Lastly, we went to check her room.

When we arrived at her room, everyone looked at each other, because we felt a presence inside. "She's upset. It's because of Negative," I whispered. My friends turned to me for further explanation. "He's been ignoring her, and she's been really upset about it. She told me the other day that she wasn't going to the ball because of it."

"What?" Kiyo and Mizu said in unison.

"She has to come!" Kiyo said. "It wouldn't be fun without her. We can't go to the ball without Yomi!"

"I know. Let's invite her to come with us instead," I said. I knocked on the door. A few moments later it swung open, and revealed an upset looking Yomi. Her cheeks were flushed and her eyes were red. It was obvious that she had been crying.

"What do you want! Can't you see I'm busy!" she yelled before slamming the door in my face. I blinked in surprise, unable to register that Yomi had just yelled at me. She had yelled at me! _Yomi,_ practically my little sister, had yelled at me.

"Kairi, let me handle this," Yoru said, putting a hand on my shoulder. I stepped back and let her knock instead. The door opened, and revealed Yomi again. Yoru put her hand on Yomi's shoulder and said, "I'm sure it's nothing you did."

Yomi's stance relaxed and tears filled her eyes as a smile spread across her face. "Thanks, Yoru," she whispered. "You always know what to say." She then hugged Yoru tightly. Feeling a bit stupid, and unworthy, I broke in.

"Now, you should come with us to get our dresses. We need a little time to just relax for awhile, anyways, especially after the attack on us," I said, cheerfully. Yomi smiled weakly, and nodded.

"Fine, I'll go with you, but only to buy your dresses. I'm not getting one, though," Yomi said. I felt my face fall. "I'm not going because of Negative…He doesn't want to go."

Yoru, Kiyo, and I exchanged long, worried looks before Yoru put her arm on Yomi's shoulders, and began trying to cheer her up. As she did, we all began to walk towards the front grounds where we could leave and go into the town.

After arriving at the grounds, we left through the east gate. The guards didn't give us anymore question than who was allowing us to leave. When we said Ash, they opened the gate automatically, and we left for the closest gown shop.

I was surprised when we came into the east side of town. Everything seemed much more…modern than the other side that I had actually been in. The buildings were taller, and sturdier-looking. They looked like things you would find back in the Human World.

I looked into shop windows, and saw electronics and modern day stuff, which completely threw me off. So there was a modern part of the town around the castle. It kept everyone's attention as we continued through the town that reminded us of our old home.

We finally reached the dress store.

While there, I tried on every pink dress my eyes fell upon. Yoru laughed at me as I came out in each one, and looked at myself in the mirror. She looked through the darker colored dresses like black, brown, and dark gray. Kiyo was all over the place when it came to color. Mizu refused any color except for blue, and said she had to 'find the perfect one.' Yami wasn't sticking to a single color either.

Yomi watched and gave pointers on which ones she really liked and which ones complimented our hair and eyes. After we had all decided on dresses, and bought them, we tried to convince Yomi of getting one so she could come to the ball with us anyways.

Sadly, she refused, so we could only follow her out of the door of the store with our dresses that we had bought. On the way back to the castle, we made plans to go out again tomorrow to get our nails and hair done. Hopefully, by then, we could have her convinced of coming with us.

We arrived back at the castle, and put our dresses away. Yomi went straight for her room, and stayed there. Of course we were all worried. We stayed in my room, and talked about how we could convince her to come, secretly hoping she would come into my room. After a long epic failure of a plan to convince Yomi, we decided to go and check on her.

As we approached the door for the second time that day, we heard small sobs coming from inside. "No…" Yomi's voice moaned from the other side. Yoru and I looked at each other, and I swung the door open as quickly as possible, thinking that she was in trouble.

"No! Daniel, no! Don't leave her, she needs you!" Yomi screamed as we all came into the room. My eyes took in the scene in front of me. Yomi had her hair pulled back into a messy pony tail. Her face was puffy and red with tears running down her cheeks. Her eyes were bloodshot and she was staring down at something in her hand; a book.

Confusion clouded my mind, and I looked closer to realize the book was _Heart Wrenching Sorrow;_ one of my books from my bookshelf. And as I made that realization, questions began popping up in my head.

First of all, how the hell had she gotten my book? Second of all, who was Daniel leaving? I had never finished reading it!

"What did Daniel do?" I demanded. Yoru glanced over to Kiyo who was looking as confused as her.

"Um…who is Daniel?" they asked.

"Oh my gosh, Kairi! I can't tell you! It's awful!" Yomi sobbed staring at the book intently, and trying to blink her tears away so she could finish reading it. "And Daniel is the main character. He's in a love triangle with Lilly and Rebecca…Oh no, you wouldn't believe what happened to Rebecca, Kairi…"

"No, not Rebecca! She's nice! But Lilly was my favorite!" I yelled. Yoru and Kiyo rolled their eyes.

"Wow, guys. That's all I'm saying," Kiyo said, turning to leave. Yoru followed and Mizu and Yami did as well.

"Go on, man…I have to finish this book…" Yomi whispered, motioning to the door.

"Tell me if it's bad...I have to finish reading that…" I whispered, remembering the twisted and confusing plot of the story. I shook my head, and left the room.

Yomi's Point of View

'_My Daniel…my wonderful Daniel…Why did he leave me? Why has he not returned?' Lilly thought. She looked out over the ocean as the sun slowly began to sink below the horizon. Her heart wrenched and tears spilled over her cheeks. I guess this meant he wouldn't be coming…_

_ "Lilly, my wonderful love!" Lilly heard from behind her. She gasped and turned quickly around to find her love, Daniel walking down the beach towards her. "I've decided I was wrong, and that I love you more than I love Rebecca."_

I jumped up when I heard a knock on my door. I wiped my eyes, and called, "Who is it!" There was no answer, and I felt a tinge of anger fill me in the midst of my sorrow. I stood and I stormed over to the door with the book still in my hand.

I jerked the door open, and froze when I saw who it was. "It's Negative," he said without showing any emotion. I blinked, and slipped my bookmark into the place I had stopped reading. I quickly wiped my eyes more, and nodded.

"Come in," I said. He followed me to my nightstand where I placed the book. He looked at me for a few moments before speaking.

"This is my fault," he said motioning around my dimly lit room, and letting his hand stop on my tear streaked cheek. "You almost died because of me. And I refused to face you about it. If I had been here to protect you, I would have stopped Noel," he whispered, and I cut in before he could continue.

"That's what this is about? This isn't your fault, Negative. None of this is your fault. We didn't know what was going to happen, so you can't beat yourself up about this. Let's just forget about it all, and be happy, and go to the ball…" I whispered, leaning closer to him.

He shook his head, and stepped back. "No, I put you in too much danger. Noel knows I'm with you. She knows that I love you. And she would do anything to make me be with her instead of you. I can't be with you with her always being after me."

Tears filled my eyes again. "No! No, Negative, I want to be with you! I want nothing else but to be with you!" I said, hugging him. He automatically put his arms around me. I stood there, hugging him as tightly as I could, refusing to let go of him.

After minutes of nothing but an understanding silence between us, he nodded, and pulled back some. "I'll protect you. I'll never leave you. I will end her the next time she even tries to harm you," he whispered fiercely. I nodded, smiled through the few tears that had built in my eyes.

Negative then kissed me, and I kissed him back, feeling complete again. His arms wrapped around my waist, and pulled me closer as his lips softly kissed mine. His gentle kisses made me smile even more, and allowed the now tears of joy escape my eyes, and roll down my cheeks.

I moved backwards, and he followed as if we were one unit. He pushed me onto my bed, and followed. He continued kissing gently as we lay on the bed. Suddenly, my door swung open, and surprised us both.

I broke the kiss, and looked up as Negative did the same. Rath stood in the doorway, with a huge smirk on his face. "Even nicer!" he roared with laughter. "You're going to get lucky, Negative!" He continued laughing as he left the room. My face was miserably red and hot with the leftover blush of embarrassment.

"Let's go to the ball, dear," Negative whispered. "Together." I smiled, and nodded, happily. As if on cue, Kairi, Yoru, Kiyo, Mizu, and Yami came through my door as he got off of me.

"We're getting your dress. Come on. Let's go," Kiyo said, taking my hand, and pulling me up from the bed.

"Wait, what?" I asked, as I was dragged towards my other friends. "My dress? Oh, right the ball. Wait, right now?"

"There's no time to waste! Let's go! Tomorrow we're getting our nails, and hair done, and right now, we're getting your dress. See you later, Negative!" Kairi called, as we all left out of the door. Then it hit me; we were all going to the ball, and we were going to have a blast.


	29. Sylea Isieri Lyteria Parina

_**~Chapter Twenty-Eight: Sylea Isieri Lyteria Parina~**_

Kairi's Point of View

Yesterday, we had gotten all of our dresses. Today was the day. It was the day of the Ball, Sylea Isieri Lyteria. The castle was in a buzz of happiness when we awoke. Kiyo, Yomi, Yoru, Yami, Mizu and I met up in the Garden Courtyard once we were ready to get our hair and nails done.

We left the grounds through the east gate, and went to the nail and hair salon. Luckily, there was one that had both put together. I got my nails done first, because I definitely didn't want my hair to get messed up. I got my nails painted the same shade as my hair.

Yoru refused to get her nails done, so instead got a clear coat to make them shiny instead of an actual color. Yomi's nails were light blue to match her eyes. Mizu chose an oceanic blue that matched her eyes, too, and Yami's were scarlet to match her hair tips. Kiyo just got a French manicure, feeling that she needed to be formal.

As I debated what to do with my long hair, I watched Yoru getting her's re-dyed black. She was getting her's straightened and styled. Yomi was getting her dead ends cut off, and then getting it straightened. They put a white flower in her hair, one that wasn't too big, but just the right size for her.

Yami got her hair cut with a razor, giving her scarlet ends a jagged edge. Afterwards, they straightened her hair. Mizu got her hair cut to just above her shoulders, and curled.

The last to finally decide what we wanted was Kiyo and me. She had decided to dye her hair black with temporary dye, and get her hair curled elegantly. Her hair would be based around the tiara she had to wear. Several pieces of her hair would be hanging down and framing her face in front of the tiara. The rest would be behind the tiara and curled.

I decided to cut my hair to the bottom of my shoulder blades. I got my side bangs curled, and the rest was straightened. A small hair band separated my bangs from the rest of my hair. Kiyo went to pay the cashier (with money from Ashu-Niisama), but the cashier refused her money simply because she was the Queen. After a long debate, we finally left the salon for free.

On the way back to the castle, Kiyo and I spotted a jewelry store. We urged Yoru to come in with the rest of us. Once inside, we each picked out our own pieces of jewelry. Kiyo was the only one that didn't. She was still flustered that they wouldn't accept her money because she was the Queen.

We left the Jewelry Store, this time dead set on getting to the castle. It was probably already mid day, and we had things we had to do before the ball.

Clover's Point of View

I walked down the hall, wondering where in the Paranormal World Rath could be. As if my thoughts had summoned him, Rath came around the corner and took my hand in his. We exchanged smiles.

"I was beginning to think you had forgotten," I said, looking down and feeling a blush spread over my cheeks. I intertwined our fingers as he spoke.

"Forgetting a walk with fresh air, beautiful scenery, and you? Impossible," Rath smirked. I smiled as we walked down the hall, and out of the castle. We walked through the gardens and stopped at Wisteria Fountain. We sat on the edge, still holding hands.

"I can't wait for the ball," I said, looking into the water of the fountain. A playful thought occurred to me. I slipped my free hand into the water as Rath replied to my statement.

"Yea, it should be really," but I cut him off by splashing water into his face. He gasped in surprise.

I laughed and said, "I was waiting to do that."

Rath wiped his face off, and said, "Oh, it's on!" We then had a miniature splash fight. I was at a disadvantage because he could control water, but I didn't let that stop me from getting a good few splashes in. When we finally finished and our laughing dialed down to a minimum, Rath walked back to my side.

We looked at each other's eyes and smiled. Slowly, we began to lean towards one another. I glanced over and saw Negative and Yomi coming around the corner in my peripheral vision. Rath's eyes were closed and he was only inches from my mouth. Another idea occurred to me then that had me smiling slightly. I leaned in a little more before nodding to Yomi and Negative. They nodded back.

I closed my eyes, and kissed him gently. Rath's hand gently cupped my face, and as soon as it did, I heard Negative call, "Nice!" in a long exaggerated way as Rath had done to him. Rath jumped back three feet in surprise.

"Run!" Negative exclaimed as he and Kiyomi busted into laughter. They took off running and laughing, hand in hand. I blushed and laughed along with them.

"Dude!" Rath called after Yomi and Negative.

"You kind of deserved that one," I giggled walking up to Rath.

"I know," he mumbled. I laughed, and hugged him. He returned the hug gently as he always did.

Kiyo's Point of View

I bustled around the room, looking for everything. My shoes were white with about a two and a half inch heel. They had pretty elegant beads to match my cream colored dress that flowed down to the floor in a tight but comfortable way. As I was putting my heels on, and stressing about how I might easily trip and fall on my face, I heard Ash come in and felt his familiar presence as he did.

I looked up to see him looking…well, not ready to attend the ball! I stood quickly, and closed the distance between us.

"Ash, why aren't you dressed? What are you doing?" I asked, surprised.

Ash took in my appearance, and chuckled. "Lovely Kiyo, you always expect too much of yourself. You do know you have a say in whether you want to attend the ball or not, don't you? I haven't even asked you, and you assume that you _have_ to go," Ash said, touching my cheek that was now turning bright red.

"Oh…I thought I had to make an appearance," I whispered, feeling completely embarrassed. Ash chuckled and I turned away from him and walked to my bed side. He followed as I plumped down in my new dress and shoes, topped off with my beautiful hair that was based around my tiara.

Ash sat down beside me, and put an arm around my waist. "Would you like to attend the ball with me, my lovely lady?"

I felt myself smile, and looked him in his beautiful blue eyes. "Yes, please," I said timidly. Ash kissed my lips gently, and pulled back. He stood, and pulled me to my feet. Ash led me to my mirror, which confused me completely.

He then pulled out a small box and handed it to me. "A present, Ash? Really? You _know_ how I am about presents…!" But he cut me off before I could continue.

"No, it's what's rightfully yours. It was yours in a past life, and I'm giving it back to you. There's a difference," Ash said, winking. I shook my head, exasperated, but smiled.

"Fine," I said. I shifted the small box in my hand for a few seconds before deciding that I should probably open it. I did, and gasped when I saw the necklace inside. A sterling silver chain held a small white pearl that seemed to hold power. Around the pearl were several small designs holding diamonds that sparkled in the soft light of the lamp on my little vanity mirror. "Ash, I love it!" I exclaimed.

"I thought you would," he said, taking it from the box. I moved my hair automatically (and very delicately!) off of my shoulders and away from my neck so that he could put my necklace on for me. I then stood, and hugged him tightly.

Ash held me gently, and swayed a little with me for several moments before pulling back, stroking my cheek, and saying, "Are you ready for dinner?"

I nodded happily as excitement and nervousness nibbled at the inside of my stomach in the form of butterflies.

Mizu's Point of View

Yami was gone from our room, and Tai and I were spending some time together before I had to get ready. As we talked, the ball came up in conversation, and I started panicking.

"Tai, I don't know how to dance very well…," I trailed off. He gave me an amused look before replying.

"It isn't that hard, water drop," Tai said.

"Yea, I mean, I can dance to fast music, but I can't do that slow formal stuff," I explained.

"Would you like me to teach you, water drop?" he asked. Excitement bubbled through me.

"Yes please!" I said, jumping up and taking his hand to pull him with me. He laughed as I pulled him into the center of the room. I ran over to Yami's CD player, popped in a soft, slow-moving song, and pressed play. I then ran back over to Tai, and smiled.

"So energetic today," Tai teased, as he took my hand in his, and placed his free hand on my waist. He guided my left hand to his shoulder, and took my free hand in his, intertwining our fingers.

As the music started, he lifted me up onto his feet and began guiding me. Tai counted off as we took each step. I found myself unable to stop looking at his amazing golden eyes. Minutes passed, and I was only aware of him teaching me how to dance, and twirl around gracefully.

_ This ball is going to be the best night of my life._

As I thought it, I realized it was probably almost dinner time. "Oh, I have to get ready!" I exclaimed. Tai chuckled, and agreed. He twirled me one more time before, pulling me into his arms, and kissing my forehead.

"I'll see you at dinner, my little water drop," Tai said before turning to leave. I watched him close the door before running to my wardrobe (next to Yami's) and pulled out my beautiful, oceanic blue dress. Tonight _would_ be great.

Grace-Lilly's Point of View

I pulled the skirt of my orange dress up, as I searched the halls for Thunder. Where could he have gone to? I had just gotten up, and ready for the dinner that would be before the ball. As I searched, I had a good idea of where he would be.

I went to the fifth floor balcony where we had had our first kiss. Sure enough, my Thunder was sitting there, looking out over the section of the Gardens where the ball would be taking place. I could sense he was very upset. I walked up behind him, and leaned down, allowing my arms to drop around his neck. I intertwined my fingers.

Thunder tensed in surprise for a second or two, but then relaxed and smiled up at me. I returned the smile as he took one of my hands and kissed it. I sat my chin on his shoulder and asked, "What's wrong, love?"

Thunder sighed, and said, "I'm worried that my brother might try and make an appearance tonight. He's been hanging around near the castle area a lot lately."

"Well, don't. Just try and have fun tonight," I said, squeezing his hand gently. Thunder smiled, and took both of my hands that were dangling around his neck.

"Yes, with you," he whispered. I smiled, happy that I had cheered him up. I kissed his cheek, and leaned my head back on his shoulder.

Ash's Point of View

The dinner went by successfully. Kairi and Yoru lead us to the table, both dressed elegantly. Kairi was wearing a pink dress that poofed out and came to the floor. She had a heart necklace that was made of white diamonds and one pink one in the middle. On her wrist, there was a small heart charm-bracelet. She looked great.

Yoru was wearing a black dress, which didn't surprise me. She had boots that came to her knees because the dress she chose was a few inches shorter. She had a simple necklace that had a line of diamonds coming down.

I couldn't have asked for better escorts. After the dinner, I stood to give a speech before I released everyone for the ball.

"I wanted to say that I'm glad we could postpone our wonderful Christmas Ball despite my trip around our world. If it weren't for our wonderful servants, maidens, and lords of this Kingdom, we would not be having such a wonderful ball in the first place. I hope that everyone can enjoy this night, _Sylea Isieri Lyteria Parina; _a night reflecting what stars shall remember!"

A round of applause erupted from around the room, and I held a glass of mixed blood and wine in the air in signal for toast. I glanced over and saw Kairi asking Kiyo what was in my glass. I sipped it and smirked as Kiyo said, "You really don't want to know…" Kairi's eyes widened before she looked down in surprise.

Once the cheering died down, I dismissed everyone to meet in the ball room to begin the ball. As everyone filed out of the room, I saw Kairi with her servant, and nudged Kiyo.

"So, Kairi and Lancer have a thing now?" I asked.

"She won't admit it, but she's totally head over heels for him," Kiyo chuckled. We continued talking about each of her friends as we made our way to the dance floor. When we reached the center of the dance floor, I twirled Kiyo around and pulled her against me. I nodded to the band and they started playing a sweet, slow song. Kiyo looked up at me with a question in her eyes.

"The king and queen always have the first dance, dear. It is a tradition," I said, smiling at her.

"I knew that," Kiyo said, blushing. Her soft cheeks became a bright pink. I laughed gently and rested one of my hands on her hip and the other clasped her free hand. She put her other hand on my shoulder and the dance began.

"Everyone's staring at you," I whispered, to her. She blushed more.

"You're wrong actually. I do believe they are staring at you." I twirled her around gracefully. Her dress spun with her and she smiled a beautiful smile at me. She was gorgeous. She was my Kiyo. The danced continued and we kept whispering things to each other.

"I actually feel like a queen tonight." Kiyo said, as I dipped her.

"Good. Because that's what you are. You're my Queen Kiyo." I said as the dance ended. Applause surrounded us as Kiyo leaned into me, smiling, and looking so happy that it made me overflow with joy.

Yami's Point of View

After Kiyo and Ash's dance, other couples flooded the dance floor as music continued to play. I didn't feel like dancing, so I started conversation with Nightmare that soon turned into him telling me about himself.

"Don't you have cat ears?" I asked, toying with his tail that I had talked him into showing.

"I don't like to ever show them, but I do have cat ears," Nightmare said. "I'm a Felion." I laughed as couples danced on the dance floor in front of us.

"I want to see them!" I exclaimed, standing on my tip-toes and reaching for his head. I saw him blush slightly.

"But they make me look childish," he said, looking away from my eyes.

"Please!" I begged, taking his hands in mine. Nightmare looked back into my eyes before glancing around us to see if anyone was looking.

"Fine, but only for you, Yami," he said, giving in and smirking slightly. He allowed his ears to poke up from his hair. I giggled and jumped up to touch them. He sighed and rolled his eyes playfully before bending down a little ways and allowing me to touch his cat ears.

I took one in each hand and stroked them. Amazingly enough they felt like real cat ears. Before I knew it, he was pleased looking, and relaxed. I laughed, and wrapped my arms around his torso while looking up at him.

"I think they make you look cute," I said. He smiled, seeming a bit embarrassed. "I like them," I added. He rolled his eyes again and kissed my forehead.

"That makes _one_ of us," Nightmare muttered.

Kairi's Point of View

I watched the other couples twirling around the dance floor in sync with the music that was playing. Among them, I saw Negative and Yomi. They were smiling and lost in each other's eyes. Yoru was near the band, helping DJ the music.

Lancer and I were sitting at one of the side tables, watching the others. Around us, the air was awkward. I didn't know what to say to him, and I was scared that I would say the wrong thing if I tried to make conversation.

Lancer broke the silence by making small talk despite the awkward silence enveloping us. After the third time of failing to keep a conversation going, he said, "Would you like to dance?"

I was surprised when Lancer asked me, and felt a blush spread across my face. I listened for the song, hoping it was one that wasn't too hard to dance to. Thank heavens it was a fast pop song with a fast beat. "Of course," I said, hoping to break the awkward silence; I can only take so much uncomfortable pressure!

Lancer stood, took my hand, and led me to the middle of the dance floor where everyone else was dancing. We clasped hands and found the right part to begin dancing. I smiled at him and blushed when he made the first move. We began dancing when suddenly the song ended, and faded into a slow song. I glanced over to see Yoru smirking in front of the DJ stand. I glared at her while a deeper blush spread across my face miserably.

Turning my attention away from her, I looked around at all the other couples around Lancer and me. All I could do was just stand there. I wasn't really sure of what to do. I then noticed that we were the _only_ ones not dancing. Lancer finally held out his hand, and I slowly took it. We exchanged timid smiles before we partook in the dance, both placing our hands in the appropriate areas, and intertwining our free ones.

In the midst of the dance, I could feel that Lancer was nervous. It was as if we had first met on this night! Why couldn't we just act like we usually did? So I tried to be a little more comfortable with him.

I leaned my head on his shoulder. I felt him tense up some, but he continued the movement. As we danced, I began to relax and become at ease around him. I let my eyes slip closed in bliss. I felt Lancer relax as well, and we continued to dance.

Just then, the beat picked up a little bit, and Lancer twirled me. We both smiled as we felt each other's happiness. Our eyes stayed locked as we moved around the dance floor, completely oblivious to the other dancers and couples around us. My chest felt filled, and I felt joyous.

We continued to have fun as we danced in circles, every so often being twirled and spun. Without noticing, I began to follow his lead perfectly with a desire to be led by him no matter where he would take me.

Before I knew it, Lancer and I were both laughing as we danced. Lancer twirled me once more, and I spun into his arms, taking his other hand. He twirled me out so we were facing each other. My eyes stayed locked on his beautiful green ones. Lancer slowly leaned forward.

At first, I was hesitant; I was conflicted about Lancer and Lightning! What did Lightning and I have? And what did that make Lancer and me? But the thoughts passed me by; I was living for that one moment, and I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.

So I leaned in. My eyes slipped closed, and I felt that we are only inches apart. And just like that, the song ended and the room was filled with clapping. I stopped, and my eyes popped open. Lancer only stared, waiting for my reaction, but all I could do was shrug and laugh awkwardly.

What was I doing? I needed to snap out of it! But before I could say anything else, and before I could react, Lancer's face turned to hurt. I felt a confused look paint my face as I was about to ask what was wrong.

Lancer turned completely dead serious, bowed once, and left. My mouth dropped open for a split second before I called after him. But before the words could leave my mouth, Lancer was gone, leaving me confused, alone, and doubting myself on the dance floor.

Mizu's Point of View

"I cannot believe Kairi just danced with Lancer!" I gushed to Yami as Tai and I held hands.

"Dear, would you like some punch?" Nightmare asked Yami. She smiled, and nodded before standing on her tip-toes to peck his lips. "I'll be back soon."

"See you then," Yami called as he left through the crowd. "Hey, I'll be back. I'm going to go gush to Kiyo about Lancer and Kairi." She winked and wriggled her eye-brows at me before glancing to Tai. I blushed as she left.

"It's just me and my little water drop," Tai whispered to me. I smiled, and leaned against his chest.

"Yep. And she's a happy water drop," I said. He took his free hand, and lifted my chin a little before leaning forward. I let my eyes slip closed as our lips met for the first time. My heart began to race as our kiss accelerated and my arms wrapped around his neck and his around my waist.

Just as we broke apart for air, a frantic looking Kairi came running up to us. I jumped a little, but didn't move away from Tai; I was too happy this close to him.

"Have you seen Lancer?" she asked, sounding a bit breathless.

"No, babe. I'm sorry," I said, a bit light headed. She sighed heavily. "But if I see him, I'll make sure to tell him you're looking for him."

"Thanks Mizu," she said, before taking in our position. She blushed slightly, embarrassed that she had walked up and broke up our kiss. "Sorry about that…" she muttered before walking away.

When she was gone, our lips met again before we pulled away for good. Yami came back just as Nightmare came back with her punch. "Perfect timing," she said, taking the punch from him and walking into his arms. She sipped it before kissing him gently. I rolled my eyes teasingly.

"May I have this dance, Yami?" Nightmare asked smirking as a really fast pop song came on.

"Hell yes!" she said, handing her punch to me, and taking Nightmare by the hand as he led her to the dance floor.

"Wow," I said. "That's all I have to say." I laughed and Tai joined in. I sipped her punch, and leaned into Tai's arms again. So far, this had been the best day of my life. And it was only the beginning of the night!

9


	30. Confusing Desires

_**~Chapter Twenty-Nine: Confusing Desires~**_

Yomi's Point of View

After dancing with Negative, he led me outside into the gardens. Lights were twinkling everywhere in bushes and on gazebos. As we walked, I couldn't help but smile. I was with my Negative, and I was too happy to think of anything sad, like missing the Human World or the war that was raging on.

Negative pulled me to the right with him, and I found us in a large open area with grass and a bench. Around the area, small fairies danced to the soft gentle music with their mates. They circled and danced together, making an amazing spectacle.

Negative lead me to the bench, and we sat. He kept my hand in his with our fingers intertwined. He kissed my cheek and I blushed.

"I'm so glad you talked to me, Yomi. You talked me out of leaving, and if you hadn't, then I wouldn't be here with you tonight," he whispered.

"I love you. I couldn't lose you," I muttered, as I leaned against his chest.

"I love you, too. And I know I would have regretted leaving you. It broke my heart to even come to you and say any of it," Negative whispered. His voice sounded so vulnerable, I pulled back, and looked him in the eyes.

"You _never_ have to leave me, Negative. I will always love you, and I will always want to be with you forever," I vowed. He smiled, and I knew that he was happy to be reassured. "Never think that I will leave you."

"And the same to you, my beautiful Yomi," he said, kissing my forehead. I leaned back into his arms, enjoying my bliss. A new soft and slow song began, and Negative stood. I looked at him in confusion, but allowed him to pull me up with him.

"May I have this dance?" he asked.

"Yes, you may," I said, smiling. And with that, we got lost in each other's eyes, the dance, and the fairies.

Kairi's Point of View

I was sitting at the same table that Lancer and I had been sitting at before he asked me to dance. Why had he run off? Was he okay? I tapped my foot impatiently as I waited for him to come back. I looked at the grand clock that was mounted on the wall at the head of the ball room.

_11:45 p.m._ I thought. _It's been an hour! Where is he..?_ Then I thought of trying to talk to him through our connection. These things slip from my mind too easily…_ Lancer, where are you? Why did you run? Come back!_ I thought to him.

I waited several moments, then several minutes for a reply, but never got one. With no luck, I stood and began looking for him. I searched the dance floor with my eyes quickly. I walked up to Yami, who was standing with Nightmare, Kiyo, Lord Ash, and a girl I didn't know.

"Hey, Kairi," Kiyo said, turning from the girl who had dark hair with purple streaks, and a really pretty purple, white, and black dress. Even her eyes were purple. "This is Murosaki Zi. Or Zi for short. She's someone I met when we went around the whole Paranormal World," Kiyo explained.

"Oh, hi. It's nice to meet you," I said warmly

"Hi, Kairi," she said. "I've heard a lot about you from Lady Kiyo and Lord Ash."

"Good things, I hope," I said turning to Ash and Kiyo.

"Of course!" they said in unison before laughing a little. My mind returned to the matter at hand.

"Hey, have any of you seen Lancer?" I asked.

"Nope, the last time I saw him, you were clinging to him like glue," Kiyo said, winking. I blushed.

"Well…yea…he asked me to dance…but then he bailed, and ran off. I don't know where he is, or why he ran!" I said.

"Well, I'm sure he'll be back soon. He's your servant, isn't he? He can only run so far," Yami said. I nodded, and sighed before going off to find Mizu.

When I spotted Mizu's blue hair, I ran for her (which was really hard in my pink heels…) "Have you seen Lancer?" I asked, before I noticed her and Tai intertwined in each other's arms.

"No, babe. I'm sorry," she said, sounding like she was high or something. I sighed. "But if I see him, I'll make sure to tell him you're looking for him."

"Thanks Mizu," I said feeling down. I then blushed as I thought about the fact that I had interrupted them. "Sorry about that…" I said awkwardly. I walked away quickly before I could delay their kiss any longer.

Yomi and Negative were nowhere in sight, so I just decided to start looking for him on my own. I searched the ball room, and then outside. I spotted Yomi and Negative, but didn't want to intrude on their dance; they looked so happy!

I searched the part of the Gardens that was being used for the ball thoroughly before going back inside. I was about to give up when I saw a large staircase. I decided to look up the stairs because I didn't want to give up on him for the night. The staircase took _forever_ to get up. When I finally reached the top, I was breathless, and my ankles hurt terribly. I saw him there, standing on a balcony over-looking the Fountain of Aurora and Shadow.

I stopped to catch my breath as he began talking. "When I was young, I used to look at the stars. They always would distract me from everything that was going on around me," Lancer said. "I was shipped off to the Alps when I was about eight years old. I was sold into slavery and was treated as a slave by several masters before you. The King of the Alps offered me salvation, though it wasn't much. He offered to enroll me in the Joker Game; to change my appearance to all until I was chosen by a Master, and accepted. I took the oath of being a Lancer in the Joker Game, and was sent to find a Master. When I became a Servant of the Joker Game, it was like I was reborn. My attitude changed, my abilities changed, even my appearance changed. Only my Master can return me to the way I was before."

My breathing had calmed down a lot, and I walked up behind him. I placed a hand on his shoulder comfortingly. "Lancer, that's awful," I said, softly stroking it. "I'll help you."

When he turned around, he looked sad. Despite the sorrow in Lancer's eyes, he smiled. "I'll be the best Master I can be," I whispered.

"You already are, Kairi," he said. My eyes watered just at the sound of him saying my name. "You've done everything that I wished and expected from a Master." I squeezed his shoulder, and moved my hand to his cheek. I looked into his eyes, and saw longing in them.

I remembered how upset he had gotten before when we were about to kiss and felt awful. I leaned in a bit closer, and saw a spark of surprise in his eyes. He leaned down, too. My eyes slipped closed, and we moved closer.

"Lady Kairi, and Sir Lancer," we heard. We jumped in surprise, and looked to who had called our names so formally. A young servant boy stood in the doorway leading inside to the staircase. "Lord Ash has an important announcement to make."

He then left back down the stairs. I watched him leave, and began to follow. Suddenly, Lancer's hand grabbed my arm, spun me around, and kissed me. My eyes were wide with shock, but soon slipped closed. The kiss lasted long enough to make me light-headed and dizzy.

When he pulled back, all I could do was stand there in shock. "I had to do that," Lancer whispered in my ear. He then walked inside and down the stairs, leaving me to stand there, think about it, and smile to myself.

After getting over the shock of Lancer's kiss, I walked down the stairs, and joined Mizu, Tai, Yami, Nightmare, Kiyo, Yoru, Yomi, and Negative in the front of the crowd that was now gathered around the band and DJ's stage.

Ash stood on the stage with Night Rider. Fear was also on stage. She had on a pink and black dress that had a big bow on the hip. It was stripped black and light pink all over.

She was standing next to Night Rider, and smiling as he held her in his arms. "Night Rider has an announcement to make!" Ash called out. Everyone calmed down and the talking turned to small whispers. Lancer then came up beside me, and put an arm around my shoulders. I smiled up at him and he returned it.

Night Rider stepped up to the microphone and said, "I have something very important to say, and I think everyone in the castle deserves to know." All the whispers silenced and Night Rider continued. "Fear, my love, come here."

Fear looked a bit surprised, but she went to his side. "Yes, dear?"

"I love you, and I need to ask something of you," Night Rider said carefully.

"Ask away, babe," Fear said, sounding a bit concerned.

Night Rider smiled timidly, and I swore a saw a small blush spread across his cheeks. He got down on one knee, and I was one of the many people that made little gasping noises. I found that my hand was on my mouth as Night Rider continued.

"Fear, I love you with all my heart and soul, and I always will. I want you to be mine as well as me be yours. Will you marry me and promise to take care of me as I will always take care of you?"

My heart stopped and I swear I almost squealed at how cute it was. Fear was taken aback as he pulled out the ring. I couldn't see it well from where we stood, but I could make out a black and purple diamond surrounded by a complicated silver band.

"Oh my god, Night Rider…" Fear whispered. Tears had filled her eyes, and she couldn't stop smiling. She seemed breathless as she fought for the words to come out. "Of course…I will marry you, Night Rider. I love you!" she said, throwing herself into his arms. He caught Fear in his arms, and spun once, seeming just as happy as she was. When they stopped, Night Rider sat Fear on her feet, and took her hand, slipping her really expensive-looking ring on her ring-finger.

Fear was crying tears of joy as Night Rider led her from the stage. Everyone in the crowd applauded, including Rath and Ash who were now standing on the stage. "You're next, Clover!" I heard Fear call.

Rath boomed with laughter and said, "Yea, you know it." He winked at Clover who was standing with Thunder and Grace-Lilly. She blushed and laughed.

"I'm ready when you are, honey!" she called. I laughed with Yomi as we marveled at how cute Night Rider and Fear were and how cute Clover and Rath's open flirting was.

Negative's Point of View

The moment that Night Rider and Fear shared replayed in my mind as I led Yomi back outside to our personal heaven. She followed and continued talking about how happy she was for them both. I agreed with her every so often to let her know I was still listening.

When we arrived back to our bench, we sat and talked about the ball, and which parts were our favorites. She would shiver ever so often, making me wonder whether we should go inside or not. But every time I would suggest it, she would say she was fine.

"I'm a bit cold," Yomi finally admitted.

"Come here, love," I said, pulling my tux over-coat off, and putting it over her bare shoulders. Her white dress was strapless, and flowed with gentle ruffles all the way to the floor, keeping her lower half warm, but not her upper half.

"Thanks," she said, smiling and leaning into me. I wrapped my arms around her, and pulled her close to keep her warm. She looked up, and I stole a small kiss. She smiled, and blushed before kissing me quickly. I smiled, too.

I held her and stroked her arms under my over-coat. A long time passed in silence, and I realized Yomi had fallen asleep. I smiled and gently picked her up. Her still form was peacefully limp in my arms as I carried her to her room where she could sleep peacefully for the rest of the night.

Yoru's Point of View

It was near the end of the night, thank God. I couldn't take anymore sappy couple moments. I was sitting at the DJ stand letting the band play a stupid, annoying, elegant song as the couples continued to twirl. How long can a darn couple dance? Especially if they had been dancing to the last twenty songs that were practically the same song!

I groaned and noticed that Edge had come from the crowd and handed me some more CD's. He leaned against the wall as I placed the CD's in the correct pile.

"This is so stupid," Edge muttered bitterly. I had a strong sense to agree with him, so I did.

"I know and look at all the stupid dresses. I hate dresses. Especially when they poof out and have lace," I groaned.

"Suits aren't any better," Edge said putting his finger down the collar of his under shirt and pulling it away from his neck to reveal how tight it was. "Look at this. You can barely breathe. I hate it."

For a good while, we criticized how much we hated gooey love moments, balls, and formal crap. After about four slow songs of criticism, there was silence between us as rock song that I had liked back in the Human World began to play.

"Do you like dancing?" Edge asked.

"Not to that elegant music that's slow and stupid. I like dancing to rock songs that you can actually get into," I said, watching some of the couples that were obsessed with formality leave the dance floor. Ugh.

"Oh," Edge said, sounding indifferent. Another silence went by before he asked, "Do you want to dance with me since there's a rock song on?"

"Sure. I have nothing else better to do," I said, shrugging, after awhile. He smirked and we went to the dance floor and danced for a little while.

After the song was over, I walked back to the DJ stand with Edge. There was silence before I said, "That was fun."

He nodded. "Yes. It was." I watched Kiyo and Ash move to the dance floor again. The annual last dance belongs to the king and queen. I slipped in a soft song, and listened as it began. Boring annoying music made me tired. Ugh.

Just then, Ren came up on the stage. Oh great. What did this idiot want? I wasn't in the mood for his crap tonight. "Have you seen Kiyomi?" he asked.

"Yes," I said, but didn't say anything else.

"Where is she?" Ren asked.

"None of your damn business, and I'm really sick and tired of you coming around here, trying to be with her because you're never going to get her. She's with Negative, so you need to get over you're annoying fantasies and move on because Yomi is staying with her Negative," I snapped. Ren was wide eyed for a second before I saw and felt a flash of danger in his eyes.

"You can't speak for her," Ren began but I cut him off.

"Oh yes I can, and I just did. She's too nice to tell you off, so I'll do it for her. Stay away from her," I growled, showing my danger off as well. Ren backed down.

"Fine. See you later, Crescentworth," he said reluctantly.

"That's what I thought, Koku," I snapped. I then went back to watching Kiyo and Ash dancing.

Kiyo's Point of View

"The last dance belongs to us," Ash whispered in my ear as I clapped. Yoru had just danced with Edge, and I_ definitely_ was going to tease her about it later. I turned to face Ash.

"Let's dance then, love," I whispered to him. He smiled, and took my hand, leading me to the dance floor, once again. We then became the spectacle for all on-lookers. Ash twirled me, and lifted me like I was his Earth and he was my moon. Every step or move he made was based around me.

I felt like I was the center of the universe (in a good way) and couldn't stop smiling at how beautiful he was, and how happy I was to be dancing with him on this night. At the end of the dance, he kissed me and I proclaimed this to be the best night of my life.

After our kiss, he swept me off my feet, bridal style and carried me to my room so I could change.

Lightning's Point of View

I was watching from the bushes when I saw her kiss her servant. Hurt, anger, and pure jealousy burned inside me as her eyes slipped closed in happiness. Why had Master Elliot made me have Guard Duty earlier? Why not put me on tonight so I wouldn't have to watch her be with someone else.

I turned as their kiss ended, and I ran. I didn't want to see any more of them being together. I made a portal and ran right through it, unhesitating. When I landed back in Master Elliot's castle, I clenched my now fanged teeth and walked for my room. I wanted to forget this whole day.

Midnight and I were supposed to have "bonding time" today, but I had refused her anything. I didn't love Midnight, and she was one of the few that knew it. I loved Kairi.

Just as I reached the door to my room, I heard Trace call my name. I growled, and turned to face him as he came down the hall.

"Who has your fangs bared?" he taunted as he noticed my eyes and fangs.

"What do you want?" I asked, trying to calm my feelings inside and retract my fangs.

"Actually, Master Elliot wants to see you and Midnight," Trace said. His voice had turned cold, but the amused taunting smirk on his face remained. Was he trying to hide how angry he got at the fact that Midnight and I had to be married? I could tell.

"Fine," I muttered as my fangs retracted and eyes returned to blue. I followed him all the way to the throne room. Trace led me in, and we both bowed before Elliot. Midnight was already there.

"Rise," Elliot said. Trace and I rose in unison and awaited his announcement. "I've decided to move Midnight and Lightning's wedding up to the week after the next," Elliot said.

"What?" Midnight and I said in unison and outrage. Trace's face remained blank, meaning he must have already known.

"You want me to be ready for a wedding I don't even want in two weeks?" I asked, too shocked to hold my tongue.

"Don't talk to me that way!" Elliot shouted. The power in his voice made me flinch, and look down. "You will be ready for the wedding, Lightning! And as will you, Midnight!"

"Of course, Master…" Midnight whispered, bowing down. I ground my teeth in frustration. I didn't love her!

"And that goes for you, too, Lightning," Elliot snapped. I nodded before waiting for him to release us.

"You're dismissed. Trace go check on those annoying Shape-shifters please," Elliot was saying as I left. I walked away quickly, and went straight to my room before anyone had the chance to talk to me or stop me in the halls. Once inside my room, I made a portal, and left the castle. I landed outside, still in the Sanctuary.

Fangira erupted from me, and I jumped on his back. Without any communication except for the same wanting to get away from the castle, we ran. Fangira ran as fast as he could, getting as much distance between the castle and us as he could. What could I do now?

_Run…_, I thought to myself. _Just keep running until you can't run anymore._

8


	31. Reunion of the Soldiers of Feywood

_**~Chapter Thirty: Reunion of the Soldiers of Feywood~**_

Justuo's Point of View

_ The sun's rays hit us as the rain falls casting an orange glow upon the world. Our enemies stay positioned; the main one stands several feet from Miki._

_ Her name escapes Aki's lips as he jumps in front of her, ready to defend her life. I jump in front of him, ready for the same devotion. The cloaked man in front of us laughs as if it were funny to see us so ready to fight for Miki's life._

_ He takes his sword, and thrusts it forward. I gasp in pain as the sword plunges into my chest, and I feel it go through Aki and Miki as well. Both of them gasp as I did. Blood seeps from the wound on chest. The man in the cloak who is wielding the sword chuckles and kicks around Aki and me, sending Miki falling to the ground._

_ Miki whimpers as the man thrusts the sword farther through our chests, and into a tree, pinning Aki and I there, helplessly. Blood spills from my mouth as a moan slips from behind my clenched teeth because of the immense pain._

_ "…Miki!" I manage to say, and Aki finishes my sentence for me._

_ "Run from…him..!" he says through gritted teeth. The man chuckles darkly, and looks from Miki to my brother and me._

_ "Oh this is so sad. Hmm…What to do next? Should I kill you? Or should I just leave you here to die?" he sneers. "Wouldn't it be nice to watch your little Phoenix die right before your eyes? The one you're supposed to protect, right?"_

_ "Shut up! I'll kill you!" I make myself shout. He snickers before releasing the handle of the sword, and slowly pacing in front of us._

_ "I think I'll let you bleed to death…that would be very interesting," he says. He turns to his companions, and calls them off of Hana, who is on the ground, panting. Midnight appears beside the cloaked man, her red eyes glowing._

_ "Master, you've done so well!" she says, looking Aki and I up and down. More blood seeps from my mouth, and I suppress a pained groan. "May I…have my turn with them?"_

_ "Do as you wish, Midnight, but leave them alive. Let them see their precious Phoenix die before them," the man says, waving his hand dismissively and turning to walk away._

_ Midnight sneers, and steps closer to me. She grabs the handle of the sword, twists it a little bit, causing both Aki and I to grind our teeth in pain. More blood spills from my mouth. Midnight laughs, showing her fangs before easing forward, and kissing my bloody lips._

_ Completely shocked, and too weak to do anything about it, I can only allow her to kiss the blood from my lips. It lasts too long, and she finally pulls back. _

_ "How strange. You have a very…strange taste to you. Mm, A negative and something else as well…Interesting," Midnight laughs before turning to Aki. She kisses him as well, and it last just as long as mine had._

_ When she pulls back, Aki mutters, "Psychotic bitch." Midnight only laughs again, before turning to leave._

_ " You're the same!" She lets a sick laugh tickle the air around us. "It's such a shame you both are going to die; you have such interesting tasting blood," she says, cocking her head to the side and smirking before fading away. Hana runs in a struggle to stay upright to where Miki is dying._

_ Miki's panting is slowing, and I know we have to get her to Tobi's house. I bring my feet up, and put them against the handle of the sword pinning my brother and I to the tree. I kick it out of the tree and out of Aki._

_ I land on my side on the ground with the sword still in my chest. I roll onto my back so that the blade is pushed out of my chest more, cringing, and trying not to groan in pain. I clutch it in my hands, and pull it out fast, screaming in pain. Despite my agony, I crawl over to Miki where Aki and Hana are now talking to her urgently._

_ Hana is in tears, and I'm close to them as well but refuse to let them show. The sun has almost set, and Miki is barely breathing now._

_ "We have to get her to Tobi's!" Hana is saying, but it all doesn't register until Miki sighs softly, and closes her eyes. It's too late; Miki is now dead._

I sat upright in my bed, gasping. I was covered in sweat in the surrounding darkness. I looked around to see Aki sleeping not too far away. I shuddered from the feeling the nightmare had left me with.

I got up, and walked out of the little tree hut and into the large forest that was surrounding it. I was restless now, and knew I couldn't go back to sleep after that dream. I threw some wood in one of the small fire pits that was around the camp-like area.

In a quick motion with my hands, the fire burst to life. I sat down, and watched other Feavii walking around and sitting around fire pits. Some were training despite the early hours.

I turned my attention back to the fire I had made. The flames seemed to dance freely, as if they were free to make any decision they wanted to. I began to envy the flames; why did they get to be free? Why did they get to do whatever they wished when I had to live by guidelines and rules?

I cursed quietly under my breath, remembering the only reason I _did_ have to live by guidelines. "Justuo? What the hell are you doing? It's late, don't you think?" Aki's voice asked from behind me.

I glanced back, and saw him standing in the doorway of the small hut we were sharing. He was in his pajamas, too, and looked utterly exhausted.

"Hey," I muttered, before looking back at the fire. I heard him walk over and sit next to me.

"Why are you up?" he asked, playfully punching my arm.

I didn't respond at first. After a few minutes, and said, "I had a dream." Aki gave me a questioning look.

"Was it about…her?" he asked.

"Yea," I sighed, "It was about Miki's death again." Aki looked me over, and nodded slowly.

"Was it the same?" he asked. I nodded, before putting my tired eyes in my hands.

"I haven't had it in such a long time I wasn't expecting it," I said. Aki put a hand on my shoulder. I looked back at the fire, and then up at the canopy of the forest of Feywood we were in. Just in between the branches, I could see the stars twinkling.

"Brother, it's going to be okay," he finally said. I nodded and looked back down at him, feeling sick to my stomach at the image that was still burned into my memory; Miki's body in my arms.

"I thought I heard both of you talking," Hana called from not too far away. I looked back at her. She was approaching from a different hut about twenty feet away. She reached us and sat down on my other side.

"Oh, of _course_ Hana has to come and see what the guys are doing," Aki joked. She glared and punched his arm a little too hard to be playfully.

"I came because I was wondering why you _idiots_ were up so early!" she snapped.

Aki sobered up some, and said, "Justuo had another dream about Miki."

"Oh. That's why…" Hana said, her whole expression and mood changing as she pursing her lips, and looked away from Aki. There was a long silence, one that I easily found comforting. They always got like this when I had dreams of Miki. The thing is: I hardly ever dream, period. So when I dreamed, it was a shock. But what was a _real_ shock was when I dreamt of Miki.

Miki was our youngest, and most fragile of our group. She was a Phoenix, and had passed away a few years ago. We had all been her Guardians, and failed to protect her. Then we had vowed revenge on the man who killed her. Sad thing is, he was cloaked, and none of us saw his face.

"Have you heard anything about your friends?" Aki was asking. I blinked, and looked up at him.

"Oh…no, not yet," I sighed. He was referring to Kairi and Kiyo. I knew them from the Human World. They knew about the Sanctuary and the Paranormal World, a few of the only people we knew that also knew about them. Kairi had saved me, Aki, and Hana's lives.

She gave us reason, and introduced us to her friends that were also involved. About half a year or so ago, Kiyo went missing; then Kairi went missing soon afterwards. Soon enough, their entire group had gone missing, and it became obvious that there were other forces at work.

Aki suggested we look for them in the Sanctuary and the Paranormal World, especially considering Kairi had always wanted to go there, and Kiyo was close the King of the Paranormal World, Ash. So, today, we would be going to the town around the castle, and seeing if there was any way for us to either infiltrate the castle, or get Kairi and Kiyo to come out of the castle.

But first, we would be meeting up with the rest of our group. Our group, to put it bluntly, is made of a bunch of misfits. I am a Feave. I am a mix between a woodland elf, and a fearie. Not _fairies,_ but _fearies._ There is a difference. Aki is also Feavii. We have another friend, Fayt, who is also Feavii. Prompto is a Human, and Serein is an elf. Hana species is still unknown, but it is obvious that she is partly Human and probably a hybrid.

The six of us made up Avalanche, a group of rogues that worked towards their own goals, and did what they felt was right, not what others said was right. We had our own will, and no one was going to take it from us.

"Justuo, what's your problem? Stop daydreaming!" Hana's voice broke me from my train of thought.

"I just have a lot on my mind right now, Hanabe," I said. "And one of those would be why the hell these dreams of Miki are _still_ haunting my memory when it has been _years_ since we lost her!" My voice had risen a little bit over whispering, and was becoming more of an annoyed talk.

"I don't know," Hana sighed. "But Justuo, their just dreams. Maybe your subconscious is trying to tell you something? Maybe we're close to finding Kiyo." Her suggestion automatically calmed me down.

"Yea, that could be it…But if Miki were really trying to tell me something, don't you think she would send me a _happy_ memory, for god's sake?" I sighed, before hitting my head against my knee and keeping it there.

"Who knows how it works, Justuo," Aki said shrugging. I shrugged as well, and looked back up to them.

"I guess we should go back to sleep." I was reluctant to actually try, but knew I'd be exhausted for tomorrow's mission if I didn't. "Hopefully this time we'll stay that way until morning," I suggested while stifling a yawn.

"I agree. We're meeting up with Prompto, Fayt, and Serein tomorrow, right? Then we can continue looking for your long lost love," Aki joked. I actually laughed, and punched his arm playfully.

"If that's what you want to call it, then sure," I agreed. I guess I should have mentioned that…

I'm in love with Kiyo.

The next morning, I woke very early, still feeling drained from the night before. Aki and Hana packed our stuff as I looked at the other Feavii and Elves wandering around the wooded area.

"Time to go, Justuo," Aki called from the edge of the forest. I turned towards him, and nodded before jogging to him and Hana. Without another glance back, we began walking to where we were meeting the others; Tobi's house.

Tobi was a very wise Elf, and one of our closest friends. He had a very large collection of books that we usually referred to when we needed to research something. Tobi was always generous with his books when we needed them.

When we arrived at Tobi's, I could already feel Fayt, Serein, and Prompto's magical resonance. By the look on Aki's face, I could tell he did as well. We entered the house, and were greeted by hugs from Seiren.

"You _finally_ arrived," she joked, and we explained about the night before, and the dream of Miki. After all, it had slowed us down; if I never had it in the first place, we wouldn't have slept as long.

After greetings, and explanations, Prompto, Fayt, Aki, Hana, Serein, and I left Tobi's house, and headed straight for Ash's castle.

Kairi's Point of View

The Friday following the Ball (after four long days of helping clean up after it), Kiyo and I were standing in front of Ash, outside in the grounds. He had a miniature mission for me, and Kiyo was allowed to come; of course she would take any chance to come.

"You know, Kairi, you are Kiyo's Guardian, and I expect you to protect her with your life. I trust you with this mission, so you better bring her back, unmarred," Ash said, looking me in the eyes. I gulped, and kept my head high.

"I will, my Lord," I said, trying to sound as epic as possible. I'm such a dork…

Kiyo rolled her eyes, and said, "You know, Ash, I'm right here. I can hear every word you're saying."

Ash looked to her, and smiled gently. "Yes, I know, dear. I'm only making a point to Kairi."

She smiled, and blushed. I giggled, and she shot me a playful glare. Ash touched her cheek softly before turning back to me. "As I was saying, Guardian Kairi, you must bring her back unmarred. She is my precious," he explained.

"Of course, Ashu-Niisama," I said honorably. He grinned and nodded.

"That's my little sister. Now bring her back, and be careful; that goes for _both_ of you," he said, eying Kiyo. She waved her hand dismissively.

"Hey, we'll be okay. I'm not completely defenseless," she defended herself. He nodded.

"Yes, I know. Both of you try to enjoy yourselves while you're out. You need some alone time and this is the best way to get it. Deliver the letter to the blacksmith, and then go shopping or do whatever you girls do to have fun," Ash said. "But remember, Kairi, you have training later. So don't be too long. Yoru won't be too happy if you ditch her, and I'm sure Guardian Haru won't be too happy either. And Kiyo, Rath wants to teach you water as well. After that attack on you, I want each and every one of you to be able to defend yourself."

"I know, Ashu-Niisama," I said. Kiyo nodded, and smiled reassuringly. We giggled before saying goodbye and leaving the castle grounds across the draw bridge. We entered the town, and headed for the blacksmith so we could finish off the mission first and have some fun.

Justuo's Point of View

Fayt and Serein had said they were searching the east side of the town. Aki and I were searching the west side. Prompto and Hana would be looking for a way to break into the castle if we couldn't find Kairi or Kiyo in the town.

_How are things looking on the east side?_ I thought to Fayt. Another thing I should mention; everyone in Avalanche have generic mind connection, but the one Aki and I share is a natural one, meaning it is much more powerful than a synthetic. A synthetic mind connection will never be as strong as a natural one.

_We haven't seen them yet. How are things with you and Aki?_ Fayt replied.

I looked around the area I was in. I sighed, feeling hopeless until I smelled it; I was frozen by it. The scent in the air was one I could never forget. My head whipped around to the direction of the scent, and my body automatically followed it.

_I have her scent. I have Kiyo's scent,_ I thought. I followed it, trying to be inconspicuous. Aki soon found me, and followed me as well. We passed the blacksmith's, and then some kind of jewelry store. As we advanced through the town, the scent became stronger, almost intoxicating.

At last, we came around a corner, and saw what could only be Kiyo and Kairi, even though it looked nothing like either of them. I knew the one with pink hair had to be Kairi; everything was always pink with her. The one beside her was Kiyo. Her hair was dark blue, almost black, and half-way down her back.

When they turned around, I definitely knew I was right. Kairi was holding that scythe she never quit talking about, and Kiyo was smiling as they talked. Their voices carried to me, and I knew I had found them.

I felt a great relief come over me as the truth sank in; Kiyo was alive, and Kairi was as well. She must have protected her well. Heh, or maybe Ash is just really good at protecting people, because last I saw of my pupil, she definitely wasn't ready to be a Guardian.

"Is that them, then?" Aki asked. I smiled.

"That's definitely them."

"Damn, they look nothing like themselves. I wonder why that is?" Aki wondered.

"I don't know. Maybe the same reason my hair turns black in this world?" I suggested.

"Well, I really wouldn't call that a change that really worth noting, especially considering you dye it a lot in the Human World."

Continuing our conversation, we walked forward as they turned to go to the next store, which was a bookstore; no surprise, knowing Kiyo. Aki and I followed them and I sent a mental message to Hana and Prompto to not scale the wall of the castle or anything else that would get us caught or attract attention.

"Okay, you gather with the rest of Avalanche. I'll talk to them, and get info. Besides, I don't want to freak them out anymore than I have to," I told Aki outside the bookstore.

"Okay bro, take your time. Go get her, man," Aki teased, his thick Japanese accent making the sentence sound strange. I chuckled before replying.

"Yea, I will. See you guys in a bit." He nodded and walked the opposite direction we had come, heading towards Serein and Fayt's location.

Once in the bookstore, I walked around a few book cases, and stood, waiting for the two of them to pass so I could catch them off guard. It didn't take long for me to feel their magical resonances getting closer especially Kiyo's, considering she was so magically equipped due to her species.

"…and I really can't believe how worried he was. I mean, we're just coming into town. It isn't that dangerous, we're right outside the castle walls," I heard Kiyo's voice from the other side of the book case. I smirked. Now was my opportunity.

"Yea, you can't be in too much danger when you're right underneath the king of the Paranormal World's nose," I said, turning the corner, and leaning against the bookshelf with my arms crossed.

Kairi looked up from Kiyo who was staring intently at several books on the bottom shelf. She glanced up, and did a double take when she saw me.

"Justuo?" they both gasped in unison.

"Hey, how've you been?" I asked, casually.

They both launched themselves at me, which I found amusing. I hugged them at the same time, and let go, allowing them to realize I was actually here. Before I knew it, Kiyo was back in my arms, clinging to me. I put my arms around her.

"How did you find us?" Kairi asked.

"Easy, Kairi-kun, remember? Your scent is distinctive. And it was obvious Kiyo would be _here,_" I said, glancing around the store, though I truly meant with Ash and not the store. I'm sure Kiyo and Kairi got the point I was making as well, but they didn't say anything.

Kiyo pulled back and went back to Kairi's side. "I can't believe you're actually here!" Kiyo exclaimed.

"Neither can I!" Kairi agreed. I chuckled.

"Aki, Hana, and a few of our other friends are outside as well. We were searching for you because you went missing in the Human World," I explained. "It's really rough over there."

"Really? What are some of the rumors?" Kiyo asked.

"Some think you were kidnapped, some think you ran away and are on the run. I know one theory is that you were murdered, but they can't find anyone who would have wanted to kill you, or bodies," I said, feeling my stomach clench. Memories of me sitting in front of the television with the news on and hearing all of the awful things that could have happened to Kiyo haunted my mind. I quickly shoved them away.

"Hmm, well at least you know we're okay now," Kairi was saying. I nodded, and shook off the numb feeling that had come over me at the thought of the past few months of my life.

"Yea, you were hard enough to find," I said sarcastically. Kairi rolled her eyes, and punched my arm. My eyes widened a bit, and I laughed. "Your punches are stronger, I see."

"Yep, I've been training!" she said, proudly. I rolled my eyes and ruffled her hair strange, pink shoulder-length hair. She gave me a criticizing look.

"It's about time someone made you train. You used to _never_ train, and I had to force you, too."

Kiyo smiled, and said, "You should come back to the castle with us!" I faltered at the thought.

"To the castle? Where Ash is waiting for you both to return?" I asked, trying to get her to understand the problems that could cause in a nice way. "Ugh, how about no?"

"Yes, why not? I'm going to be doing some training today. Maybe you could come help me, Justuo. I mean, you _are_ my sensei," Kairi added, smiling. I looked to her, and gave her a critical look.

"Ash doesn't like me very much. Especially considering my feelings for Kiyo." I said this as if it were obvious; which, I wasn't so sure if it was anymore.

"Aww, please come!" Kiyo said, pouting. I looked away, unable to say no to her cute-sad face. "I miss you, and Kairi misses you, and you should come with us…" Her voice turned into a sad sounding voice; the one she always used on me in the Human World when she wanted something from me, and I was unwilling.

Even Kairi seemed to melt under Kiyo's begging, and began to beg with her. I glanced back at them, and heaved a long and heavy sigh.

"Fine. I'll go with you," I said, giving in. They both squealed happily, jumping up and down like the kids they were. "Bunch of children," I muttered, smiling.

"I am _not_ a kid!" Kiyo shouted, as she stormed the other way. Kairi laughed along with me as we followed her out of the store. Kiyo had stopped when she got outside to wait for us.

When Kairi and I finally caught up to her, she turned back, and gave me one of her "I'm so adorable" looks. I smiled back, missing everything about her. Surprising enough, despite her hair, not much had changed in her facial area, or her body. Her boobs were still big as ever, and she was still short despite her age.

"So where are your friends?" Kairi asked, breaking my thoughts up. "I thought you said they were outside, hmm?"

"They're around. I'm going to tell them to meet me back at Tobi's later so I can come with you guys. I can't stay long, but I will help you train, Kairi," I replied.

"You mean we still don't get to meet your friends that you've told us so much about?" Kiyo asked, seeming a bit annoyed by this.

"I'm sorry," I said, trying to sound sincere. "But it's going to be bad enough for me to go to the castle, much less all of my friends."

"Fine then," Kairi answered for both of them. I closed my eyes, concentrating on Aki's connection to my mind.

_Aki, you and the rest of Avalanche go on to Tobi's house. I'll meet you there later. I'm going to stick around and train with Kairi some,_ I thought to Aki.

_Sure thing, brother. We'll be waiting for details there. Don't get too hot and heavy,_ Aki responded immediately. _And don't be too long. We have were supposed to go to school today. You may be out because you have snow, but Hana and me are probably in some deep shit about now._

_ Yea, yea, okay. I'll hurry it up. See you guys later._

_ Bye-bye!_

I opened my eyes, and turned back to Kiyo and Kairi. "So, lead the way, _Guardian._" Kairi smirked at the fact that I had called her a Guardian before her and Kiyo lead the way through the town, and towards the castle.


	32. Dangerous Desires

_**~Chapter Thirty-One: Dangerous Desires**_

Kairi's Point of View

Kiyo and I went through the west gate, coming into a part of the Gardens that was connected to the Training Courtyard. After stopping by my room to change into some comfortable training clothes, and explaining to Justuo where we were, and where we were going, we went through the gate that lead to Training Courtyard, and then into the Training Grounds.

Yoru was stretching near Yomi, who was sitting on a bench, talking to Yami and Mizu. Rath was watching Yoru when we approached them.

"Look who we found," I said, smiling. Yoru glanced up from bending over to touch the ground. Her eyebrow rose, and she stood up straight.

"Is that who I think it is…?" Yomi said in disbelief. Mizu and Yami stared for awhile, seeming to take in the fact that Justuo was standing in front of them.

You see, we met Justuo in the Human World. He had known about the Sanctuary and the Paranormal World because he and his friends had gone. He watched over us for awhile, and we became friends (well, some of us became friends...Yomi and Yoru never liked him much because of his feelings for Kiyo, and his sometimes childish behavior.) He also became my official sensei. He had a thing for Kiyo, which I didn't like at all because I supported Ash more.

For awhile, everything had been perfectly at ease, and right. But then, Yoru had lost her memories. Within the time span of getting them back, and setting things right again, my friends and I had been so wrapped up in trying to figure everything out that we had lost contact with Justuo and his friends.

When Kiyo went missing, and Yoru had left me in the Human World with Yomi, Mizu, and Yami, I hadn't even thought of going to Justuo. I was too irrational, and desperate to keep Yoru and Kiyo safe myself that I had cut myself off from the Human World. I barely even left my room.

When I went to the Sanctuary, Justuo disappeared, fading farther away from my recent memories and problems. Seeing him had given me a wake-up call.

"Yes, it's Justuo," I said, confidently. Yomi crossed her arms, and glared at him. Yoru kept her face blank. Mizu and Yami smiled at him in a friendly way, remembering him from earlier in our lives.

"Hey," he said to everyone. Yomi didn't say anything, but stayed silent.

"Hello," Yoru said.

"It's been awhile," Yami said.

"Yes it has," Mizu said, agreeing with Yami.

"Can we keep him?" Yami and Mizu asked in unison, turning to Yomi.

"No, we most certainly cannot!" she practically hissed.

"Yomi, calm down," Kiyo said, laughing.

"He's here to watch us train," I said, smiling, and walking to Yoru's side. I smirked, and nudged Yoru, and she laughed.

"Fun," she said, smirking, and high-fiving my hand. "Let's show him what we got." She purposefully made the grammatical errors, and I grinned.

"Let us," I smiled. Justuo smirked, shook his head, and sat down on a bench near Mizu, Yami, and Yomi's. Rath watched with humor, but said nothing about Justuo's presence. I stretched a good bit as Kiyo talked to Rath about learning how to control water. Ash _had_ claimed he wanted her to learn how to control the four elements that she wielded, and Rath was the perfect place to start. He knew water, and she needed to learn to control it.

When we were finished stretching, Yoru and I sparred. It was a fun, and joking spar, but we did try to show off in front of Justuo. We flaunted our speed and our strength mostly. I wasn't going to show off my fire because Yoru was at a disadvantage; she couldn't control any magic unless she entered her Demon form.

Once Rath called us off of each other, we took a small break and watched Kiyo sweating and concentrating on controlling the water of the Wisteria Fountain right in front of the Training Grounds.

"That's so cool!" Mizu suddenly shouted, throwing her hands up. Suddenly, water splashed up from the fountain. Mizu gasped, and pulled her hands back to her side as Kiyo lost her concentration and dropped the water on Rath. He and Kiyo both looked at each other.

"It wasn't me," Kiyo said, putting her hands up. Justuo laughed, and looked at Mizu.

"It seems you have another water user," he said, pointing to her. She looked around at everyone. We had all started watching her because of our curiosity.

"Come Mizu," Rath said, motioning for her to go to his side. She looked around quickly once more, and stood. She walked to his side. He waved his hand, and a large globe of water came from Wisteria Fountain. It stopped beside them, and he motioned to it.

"Touch it," Rath said. She looked at it unsure, but reached out, and touched the water. As soon as she did, it exploded, and droplets of water spewed all around Mizu, landing on her, and trickling down her skin.

She gasped, and smiled as laughter bubbled from her mouth. "I like water," she stated simply. Rath nodded, and turned to Kiyo, smiling.

"She can use water. She can control it to her will. She has a lot of potential with it, and she should begin training with it, as you are," Rath said. Kiyo smiled, and patted her on the back.

"We can train together!" she said, sounding relieved.

"I can use water!" Mizu exclaimed. "I knew I had a connection to it!" They both jumped up and down in excitement, hugging each other and gushing about their water-loving selves.

As Kiyo, Mizu, and Rath spoke excitedly of learning water, Yoru and I had began stretching our muscles out again so they wouldn't cramp up. Justuo watched as we did, and a smirk formed on his lips. I could tell he had thought of an idea that I probably wouldn't like.

"Hey, Kairi," he spoke. "How about you take on your old sensei? You seem to have gotten better, and learned to use strategy. Ash's Guardians must have been teaching you quite well." I frowned at how he called him 'Ash' as if he were not a king, and just a normal citizen.

"You want to spar with me?" I asked, feeling my pride kick in.

"Why not? But remember, Kairi," he said, pausing to stand. "I'm a lot stronger here than I am over in the Human World."

I smirked, and finished stretching my legs before I stood. Yoru gave me a look that said, 'Don't push yourself too far' before she went to the side lines with Yomi and Yami. Mizu and Kiyo joined them, seeing that I had taken on Justuo.

He rolled his sleeves up, and stretched a bit before saying, "Ladies first."

I smirked again and waited, letting the tension build. As it became dead silent, and all of the small chatter on the side lines died, I felt adrenaline slowly began to kick into my system.

"Come on, Kairi," Justuo taunted. A few moments of silence followed his remark before I lunged forward and thrusted my palm forward. As soon as I had moved, he had tensed to block the attack. He shoved my right arm aside, sending me flying forward.

I used the momentum to throw myself onto my hands, and swing my legs forward. I landed on my feet, and spun around to face Justuo just in time to have him strike my shoulder with his palm. I gasped when I flew backwards, stumbling to keep my balance.

He followed me quickly, and kicked my feet right out from under me. I yelped as I hit the ground. He laughed and jumped back, giving me space to get up. Not shaken at all, I stood and shook my hands to get the adrenaline flowing better.

"I'm just getting warmed up!" I called. He nodded once, and we began circling. Everyone was dead silent as we thought out our next moves. Suddenly, he charged forward. I jumped back, and readied myself to block the attack.

Justuo flew forward like a snake striking its prey. I blocked his strike, and weaved around his other attacks like a dance. He laughed, and said, "Come on, Kairi! Stop running away and face me!" His teasing tone pushed me to try and fight back. I turned to the side, and spun, sending my leg flying towards Justuo's face. This surprised him, but it didn't show in his actions.

He ducked down, and tried to knock my feet out from under me again. I was ready this time. I jumped, and kicked him right in the chest. He grunted quietly as he slid backwards. My eyes traveled to the side lines. I saw Yoru looking a bit smug. Kiyo and Yomi were smirking and high fiving.

Suddenly a blast of heat caught my attention. I looked back to Justuo. Fire was beginning to dance around him. Flames licked his hands and arms, slowly growing. My eyes widened in surprise.

"What ails you, my pupil?" he laughed before throwing the fire towards me. I gasped, and forced the fire away from me, making a fire proof bubble around me. I sunk to my knees in the sea of flames trying to engulf me. I put my full concentration on keeping the fire away.

"Kairi! Justuo, you're going to hurt her!" I heard Kiyo scream. I felt my pride slip, and put as much mental force into willing the flames away from me as I could. The fire flew backwards, causing shrieks to surround us.

Rath had brought water up to extinguish the flames flying towards Yoru, Yomi, Mizu, and Kiyo as Justuo showed his surprise. I smirked, and the surprise on his features disappeared. He summoned more fire, and I did the same.

We danced, dodging and striking in circles. My heart beat thumped loudly in my ears, and I stayed in sync to it, not allowing my concentration to slip up at all. My mind worked mechanically; _block, strike, dodge, block, strike, dodge, block, dodge. _Suddenly, I slipped up and felt his hand strike me, then his foot and extended leg sent me flying backwards.

I skidded across the ground on my back. Using the momentum of it, I rolled backwards and threw myself up onto my feet. I swayed a bit, and readied myself for the next attack.

I glanced back to Kiyo and Yomi. Kiyo's face was worried. Yomi's arms were crossed and her face held a glare in Justuo's direction. "I'm really close to stepping in…" I heard her say to Kiyo.

"I am, too…" Kiyo said. Suddenly, a sharp pain sent me backwards and onto my back again. A whine of pain escaped my mouth.

"That's it!" Kiyo and Yomi said in unison. Their faces were outraged as they began to storm forward and take Justuo on. To my relief, Yoru grabbed both of their wrists and pulled them back.

"This is her fight, we can't interfere," she said wisely. With that being said, I looked back to Justuo. He was chuckling, and walking towards me. I winced, and pushed myself onto my butt. He held his hand out to me, and I took it. He pulled me up.

"Are you okay?" Justuo asked laughing. I nodded, and took on a fighting stance. "You want some more?"

"Oh, I'm ready for you. Bring it, sensei!" I called out. I felt the mental and physical drain the sparring had taken on me, but my stubborn self wasn't about to back down and let him win.

He charged forward again, and I dodged to the left, only to be followed by his fist. He hit my shoulder, and I gasped. I recovered quickly, and brought my foot up again to kick him in the face. This time it hit him, square in the mouth.

Justuo didn't even seem to be phased by it, which surprised me. He came at me again, too quickly for me to even understand what was happening. I backed away quickly, dodging each attack as best as I could. But I tripped up.

Justuo's fist flew forwards, and everything after that went into slow motion. "Oh that is it!" Yoru shouted as soon as Justuo's fist came in contact with my lower hip near my left ovary. I gasped, and Justuo kept moving with me. He then thrusted his arm forward and twisted his wrist. A shout of pain escaped my mouth, and I went flying through the air again.

I curled forward as an automatic reaction to protect my wounded hip. I hit the ground and skidded. I squeezed my eyes shut and grinded my teeth together as I tried to move. "Yoru, this is her fight! Remember, we can't interfere!" I heard Yomi and Kiyo saying.

My breathing matched that of a race horses after a race as I heard slow footsteps walking towards me. I forced my eyes open, ready to recoil. My instincts and adrenaline had sensed a wound and were taking over. The face that showed was Justuo's. He looked calm and peaceful, which threw me off.

"Kairi, that's enough," he said, kneeling down beside me. "I pushed you to your limits, and you did well." Yoru and Kiyo were beside me before I knew it. Yoru was pulling me up as my mind entered a dazed state.

"Kairi, are you okay? Do you need help?" Yoru asked as Kiyo went through my mind to find where my wound was.

"Here, let me heal it for you," Kiyo offered. I nodded slowly as Yoru pulled my arm around her shoulder to help support me. Justuo took my other arm and helped me to a bench. Mizu and Yami were watching wide-eyed. Yomi was twitching in anger.

Kiyo took a deep breath, placed a hand on my hip, and began healing. I felt tingly and bubbly as she healed my hip. Several moments of silence passed before she pulled back. I moved some and felt only a dull pain.

"Are you okay?" Kiyo asked. I smiled and nodded. I turned to Justuo who was smirking.

Justuo's Point of View

As Kairi flew backwards from my final blow, I knew I had pushed her too far. She went limp and curled into a ball. Yoru and Kiyo both were on their way by the time I kneeled beside Kairi. She tensed, as if still ready to fight me. I liked her passion for fighting, and her sense of never giving up. That hadn't changed about her.

I told her that it was enough and that she had done well for a spar with me. Yoru and Kiyo stopped beside us, and started talking to Kairi. She was disoriented and going into shock. Yoru helped Kairi to her feet. She stumbled and I stepped forward to help her to a bench near where Yomi was standing next to Mizu and Yami.

I sat her down, and Kiyo offered to heal Kairi's newest wound. Kairi only nodded, still not understanding everything that was going on. After several moments of silence, Kairi seemed to snap out of her daze, and Kiyo pulled her hand back.

As they talked about the spar, and gushed at how well she had done, I was analyzing everything that had happened. She had gotten much better, and quicker. She had learned how to improvise in a sticky situation as well.

I also noted that she could control fire…Of course I wasn't going to hurt her when I had used mine; it was mostly to scare her a bit. I wasn't going to ever let it touch her, but she made sure of it. She had sent it flying. She was sloppy with it, but I could help her control it better. It was Kairi that snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Justuo was good, too," Kairi said, modestly. I laughed, and looked at Kiyo.

"What do I get for winning?" I said, allowing my voice to become flirty. She laughed aloud, and was about to reply when the wind blew another scent to my nose. The sound of a door closing made us all glance up.

Ash was walking out into the Training Courtyard. I smirked, and moved a bit closer to Kiyo. She didn't seem to notice, and she also had gotten quiet, maybe even solemn? Ash froze when his eyes fell upon me. His face turned to outrage, and his eyes turned from dark blue to brilliant red. He stormed forward, and I took on the challenge.

"Oh _shit_…" Mizu muttered under her breath.

"What is _he_ doing here?" Ash demanded of Kairi. She flushed and flinched at the harshness of his words.

"Well, he was helping me train, my lord," she said quietly. Ash looked Kairi up and down, noticing the whelps, knots, and bruises forming on her skin.

"By beating the fuck out of you?" he asked. He looked at Rath as if to ask what was going on. Kairi hesitantly looked to me and Kiyo. I stepped forward around Kiyo and Kairi, and faced Ash.

"We were sparring, Ash," I said, coldly. "I wasn't beating the fuck out of her. She's my pupil, remember?"

"That may be so, but this is _my_ castle, and Kairi is _my_ little sister. And Kiyo is my lovely queen," he added the last part with an icy tone in his voice. "Now leave!"

I was about to object, and punch him in the face, but Kiyo stepped forward and stood in front of me, surprising us both.

"I invited him to come here," she said, evenly. Ash looked down at her, and clenched his teeth. I saw his fangs were showing.

"You invited him? Why?" Ash asked, holding back his anger with Kiyo.

"Because, first of all, this is not only _your_ castle, but it is _my_ castle as well. Second of all, he's my friend, and he's Kairi's sensei! He just wanted to train her some! And last, but definitely not least, I_ am_ the queen, and I have _just as much authority_ as you do, Your Majesty, and I say he can stay!" Kiyo yelled the last part. Ash glared at the ground as Kiyo glared him down.

"Fine. I'll be in my room. Rath, get my wall!" he shouted, as he stormed off the other way. The other guy, Rath, that had been teaching Mizu and Kiyo water, followed after him, leaving all of us alone. I couldn't help the grin that was forming on my lips.

Kiyo turned around, and faced us. Kairi's mouth was open in surprise, and Yomi was silenced. Kiyo took in my expression before saying, "What? It's the truth. Don't say _I_ have no back bone."

I picked her up in a hug, and spun her around. "I'm surprised that you actually stood up for me. I expected something like that from Kairi," I said, turning to ruffle Kairi's hair a little. She glared playfully at me before I continued. "But not from you."

"Why not? Of course I'm going to stand up for you. You're my friend," Kiyo said smiling. I felt hurt course into my chest, but didn't let it show. Of course she would say that. We were _friends_...I sat Kiyo back down before the hug got any more awkward for me, or even awkward for Kiyo. She smiled at me before turning to Kairi. Kiyo hugged her and said, "Feeling alright, Shugo Kairi?"

"Yea, I'm fine. A few bumps and bruises are nothing compared to past experiences. I'll be fine," she said. Kiyo seemed happy now that she had gotten her feelings off of her chest. I could sense something just below the surface of her happy attitude, but it was more prominent when she was yelling at Ash.

I forced myself to be happy for the next few hours as we hung out around the Gardens. They showed me the seven fountains and their rooms as well. Yomi and Yoru were reluctant to even talk to me, much less show me anything. As it became dark, I knew Avalanche would be worrying.

I finally told Kairi and Kiyo that I had to leave. They were reluctant to let me leave, but knew it would be for the best. I gave them each good-bye hugs before leaving for the Feywood.

Kairi's Point of View

Today had been great, (except for Kiyo and Ash's little fallout) and I was exhausted. The fight between Kiyo and Ash had me on edge, and a bit mind-boggled. Kiyo refused to sleep with him, and claimed she would sleep with me in my room instead.

Lancer and Axel stayed the night in Kiyo's room. The rest of the night went well but with lots of criticism from Yomi about Justuo's behavior, and from Yoru about me pushing myself too far when we sparred.

I went to sleep that night and slept well with many memories of Justuo Yamamotto running through my head.


	33. Training Fixes Everything

_**~Chapter Thirty-Two: Training Fixes Everything~**_

I awoke to Kiyo cussing in her dream. I found this strange, and decided to wake her up. Once she woke, she claimed she couldn't remember what she was dreaming about before I had woke her up.

A cold chill had settled over my room because we had allowed my fire to die.

As we dressed, I tried talking about Ash. It backfired on me, leaving her in a bitter mood. So, for the rest of the time we were alone in my room, I didn't even mention yesterday at all.

"Where are we going today?" I asked as she led us down the hall to her room. She opened the door and we found Lancer and Axel. The room was filled with a warm glowing heat that made me instantly relax. I loved fire.

Lancer gave me a warm smile before standing, bowing, and flopping back down onto the couch he had been sprawled on. I smiled and blushed. He was in a pair of sweat pants, shirtless, and propped up in front of the fireplace. Axel sat in the chair near the couch Lancer was laying out on. He was also in sweats and shirtless.

I silently (in the back of my mind), took in the fact that Lancer had a perfect six pack…

Kiyo's face turned sly as an awful thought crossed her mind. _Oh no, here we go,_ I thought to myself. Kiyo walked up to Axel with an innocent look on her face. I rolled my eyes as she asked, "Can we join you both?"

"Of course," Axel and Lancer said automatically and in unison. Lancer sat up and I plopped down beside him. Kiyo sat in the huge chair with Axel, leaning against him.

Axel, a bit flustered, put his arm around her. She smiled, and somewhere, really deep inside her, the smile was a feeling of relief; she wanted someone to comfort her. I sighed and rolled my eyes again, smiling at Lancer as his face questioned me.

_Wow, Kiyo,_ I told her through our mind connection.

_Ash was mean yesterday!_ Kiyo exclaimed in my mind. Lancer's hand stroked my cool arms, distracting me. He was warm compared to my skin's chilled surface, so I allowed him to pull me close. His warm arms wrapped around me making me shiver.

"Hi," I said stupidly. Lancer chuckled and my cheeks turned light pink.

"Hello, my lady," he said, touching my flushed cheeks. I shuddered at his warmth, and pressed my face to his warm chest. It was Kiyo who mentally rolled her eyes this time.

I ignored her and focused on telling Yomi that we were in Kiyo's room through _our_ mind connection. _Hey, Yomi, we are in Kiyo's room,_ I willed into her mind.

I waited for a response, and soon heard one. _'Kay sounds good. I'll tell the others and we'll meet you there in a few minutes._ I didn't bother replying because she understood I was okay with that. Instead, I started a conversation.

"So…I'm sure you felt me getting my ass kicked yesterday," I commented to Lancer.

"Yea, she really got her ass handed to her," Kiyo added. I scowled playfully at her and waited for Lancer's reply.

"Yea, I noticed. I thought it was normal for training though..?" His statement held a question, but before I could answer, he continued. "Was it a normal training session?"

"Well, you see, one of my old friends, Justuo," knowing showed in Lancer's eyes as I said the first part, "came by the castle and trained with me for awhile. He used to be my sensei back in the Human World."

"I remember seeing him as I watched you," Lancer said, nodding. "He's the cocky, know-it-all guy, right?"

Kiyo and I both burst into laughter. "Yea, that's him," Kiyo said, allowing her laugh to calm down.

"Oh, I remember him!" Axel commented. "He's the one that was all over Kiyo all the time in the Human World."

"Sadly, yes," I said with a joking tone.

"You were just jealous it wasn't you," Kiyo teased. I made a 'yea right' noise just as Yomi and Yoru came in, chuckling about something they had been talking about before they had entered.

"Hey guys," I said. They both waved cheerfully to me (Yoru a little less cheerfully and peppy than Yomi…) as Mizu and Yami came in behind them, gushing about the fight between Justuo and me yesterday.

"What are we doing today!" Mizu asked before taking me in Lancer's arms. "Aww, you guys should kiss!" Her exuberance at the subject of me and Lancer's relationship made me blush deeply (and I felt guilt wrench my gut…)

Kiyo cleared her throat, and giggled causing the rest of them to laugh a bit. I rolled my eyes, and pulled back some. Lancer's grip on me loosened a bit, feeling the same embarrassment as me.

"Anyways…" I said, clearly trying to change the subject. "I think we should take it easy today. It's Saturday anyway, and I'm still a bit shaken by the training spare yesterday."

"Yea, you seriously got your ass kicked," Mizu said as if we were talking about something as simple as a walk in the Gardens. I gave her a look that said "really? I wasn't aware." She smiled sheepishly and shrugged.

"Let's walk in the Gardens!" Yomi offered. I wasn't surprised by her suggestion. I was pretty sure Yomi could walk the entire Gardens with her eyes closed and not step on a single flower; it was her favorite place at the castle.

"Flowers, fountains, plants, walkways, and romantic benches!" Mizu said in a mock girly voice.

"Hell no!" She and Yami said in unison. Yoru laughed, and held her hand out for a skin from both of them.

"Agreed," she said, nodding and smirking a little. I stood, pulling from Lancer's arms (reluctantly; what the hell was my problem?) and walked over to Kiyo. I pulled her up from her hands and onto her feet.

"Well, let's do _something_ before I die of boredom," I said, pulling her towards our group of friends.

"Thank you for accompanying us, ladies," Lancer said in his mock formal voice.

"The pleasure was ours," Kiyo said, winking at Axel. He blushed slightly before smiling.

I rolled my eyes (again) and waved to Lancer. "Thanks for warming me up," I told him. He stood, and bowed before smiling and sitting back down. Kiyo shook her head and pulled me from the room.

Yoru, Mizu, Yami, and Yomi followed, all laughing at my blushing face. Ugh, I was such a love sick whore! I was falling for my servant and my enemy! Why was it always me? The thoughts teased at the guilt in my gut.

As we walked down the hall, my friends teased me. We descended the stairs to the first floor, heading for the Garden Courtyard. When we rounded the corner, we came face-to-face with Lord Ash. I gasped, and stopped dead in my tracks as an awkward silence fell upon our little convention.

"Oh shit…that's awkward…," Mizu blurted. I glared at her as Ash walked towards Kiyo.

"Put something comfortable on. Make sure it'll keep you warm. We're training. Meet me in the Guardian Training Courtyard in about fifteen minutes," Ash said, reaching up to touch Kiyo's shocked face. His voice lacked all emotion and her cheeks turned red as he walked away, leaving her mouth hanging agape a bit.

"Wow…" I whispered, exchanging glances with Yoru. She was sharing the same this-is-getting-too-awkward look that I had.

Without another word, Kiyo turned on her heels and walked down the hall, back to the staircase, and up the stairs.

"Oh my…" Yoru said.

"Damn," Mizu laughed.

"That wasn't awkward at all," Yami said, propping her arm up on Mizu's shoulder.

"This is going to be more than a little awkward," Yomi proclaimed as we went outside, deciding it would probably be best if Kiyo and Ash were alone during their…"training session"…

Kiyo's Point of View

I pulled some comfy sweat pants on and pulled up my almost normal blue hair into a ponytail. I had on a long sleeved sweat shirt as well that matched the grey pants. Ash had given me these when we had gotten back from the trip around our world.

I sighed heavily to myself, wondering dimly how awkward it was going to be between Ash and me when we were training. I pulled on some converse, and headed out into the hall again. I walked down the hall, swiftly.

In the back of my head, I realized how much I didn't like fighting with Ash. He was my wonderful love, and my king that would rule by me no matter what. He would love no matter what I did or who was my friend. He was just upset because Justuo and I used to have a thing in the Human World…The ache of old wounds that should've been scars by now pained my heart.

"Lady Kiyo," Rath greeted as I passed him, distracting me from the ancient ache.

"Hey, Rath," I said, offering a smile as we passed. I went down the stairs, pushing all thoughts of Justuo and his mistakes from my mind, and out into the Garden Courtyard. Instead of following the presences of my friends, I went to the west where I knew Ash would be waiting in the Training Courtyard.

I walked through the crisp cold air, continuing to think of the oncoming training that Ash had been talking about. Was it going to be physical training? Or was it going to be a mental training?

"You're early," I heard Ash call as I entered the courtyard. My eyes darted up to him in surprise. He was in black under armor shirt, and black sweats. His hair was pinned back at the nape of his neck, keeping it out of his face. Like me, every time he breathed, a little puff came with his breath, reminding me how cold it was.

"I wanted to get started on training," I said, stubbornly refusing to let him know that I really did miss him. Ash's face told me that he didn't buy it, but I didn't let my façade falter. "What are we training with?"

"Physical," he said simply, but there was something just behind his words that made me blush deeply. I kept my mind blocked from him, being careful not to show that I liked the sound of that.

"Then let's go, Your Majesty," I said, failing at trying to sound cold. He smiled, seeing through me. I had stopped in the middle of the training field. He closed the distance between us.

"You need to warm up, first, silly," Ash whispered, taking my cold hands in his. Stretch. I'll help you."

I nodded, feeling very conscious of his close proximity. I began stretching like we had in gym class before I left the Human World. Ash guided me with the correct formations and the most effective ways to stretch my muscles.

Once we were finished stretching, he went over the correct stances of offense and defense. He taught me how to punch correctly, and kick effectively. He acted as my punching bag, which was hard for me. I couldn't punch Ash!

After a long time of convincing, he talked me into punching him, promising me he wouldn't let me land a blow. After a long and tiring session of slow moving punches and kicks, I had began to sweat a little. I pushed the arms of my long sleeved shirt up.

"Ready for a practice spar?"Ash asked playfully.

"Yea, but I'm going to win," I teased, just as playfully. All of the pent up anger I had towards him had dispersed into nothing. Now I wanted to see him hot, sweaty, and shirtless!

"If you say so, lovely girl," Ash taunted. We took on fighting stance, and faced each other. I went first, sending awkward but effective punches towards him. He blocked them easily, and glided around me. I jumped back, and sent a mental wave of energy towards him.

Ash stumbled, and looked at me with mock accusation. "You cheated!"

"No one said I had to play fair," I said, winking and smirking. Ash also smirked.

"Now I'm going to have to get serious," he said, pulling his shirt off to reveal his amazing abs. To make it all even hotter, he had began to sweat and some of his front hair strands had come undone from the rest of the pinned back hair.

"Are you ready, Kiyo?" Ash asked. I hadn't realized my mouth had fallen open a little. I shook off my shock, and took on fighting stance again. He dashed forward, faster this time. I gasped, surprised by his Vampire speed.

"Whoa!" I managed. The next thing I knew, my arms were gently pinned behind my back.

"Boo," Ash breathed in my ear. I shuddered as his breath tickled my ear. He released my arms, and I spun to attack him. He quickly dodged the attack, and knocked my feet out from under me.

I gasped, and braced myself for the sharp pain of the impact but felt Ash catch me. He laid me down with my back against the cool stone, pinning my wrists to the cool stone as well. He was straddling me so that he wasn't putting his whole weight on me, but was close enough to touch with my nose.

"I win," he breathed. I stared up at him and into his deep dark blue eyes. Both of our breathing was fast. His grip on my wrists loosened, and he leaned closer. I closed the distance and kissed him, allowing our lips to sync perfectly like they always did.

The familiar electric zing that I usually felt around Ash coursed through me, causing my heart rate to increase, and my breathing to become harder. I got so lost in the kiss that I didn't know what to think when I heard my best friend and her sensei enter the Training Courtyard.

Kairi's Point of View

"Hey, Kairi." Justuo's voice came from behind me. I jumped in surprise, not expecting to hear him here. Yami and Mizu both looked back, and smiled when they saw him. Yomi and Yoru exchanged looks, and looked to me.

"Hey, Justuo," I said, smiling. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Kiyo, and hang out with you little punks for awhile today before me, Aki, and Hana head back to the Human World," Justuo explained. He playfully ruffled my hair, like he always did. It was like his trademark move around me. I glared at him.

"Don't do that! It messes my hair up…" I grumbled. He laughed.

"So, where's Kiyo?" Justuo asked. Yomi's voice entered my mind.

_Oh, wouldn't you like to know? She's with Ash, probably making out!_ I had to hold my laughter in at her comment before answering.

"Training," I said, evasively.

"Maybe I could help," Justuo offered.

"That's a great idea!" Yomi busted into the conversation. "Kairi, you should take him to Kiyo. I'm sure she could use his help."

I clenched my teeth, but smiled. "Sure, come on. I'll take you to Kiyo. See you guys later," I said, throwing a glare in Yomi's direction and reluctantly leading Justuo towards the western part of the Gardens.

_You better tell me how that works out, Kairi! _Yomi yelled into my head. I rolled my eyes mentally before weaving through the twisting paths of the Gardens. When we came upon the inner western gate that opened into the Training Courtyard, I was hesitant.

Justuo seemed to notice but didn't say anything as I pushed through the gate anyways. When we walked into the courtyard, my hand shot to my mouth. Ash was on top of Kiyo, shirtless. And they were kissing! Oh my goodness, what awful timing! I mentally scolded myself as I heard Justuo's teeth clench loudly.

Kiyo pulled back, looking really disoriented from the kiss. Her eyes widened when she saw both of us standing there. Ash glanced back to see us, too. I could've sworn I saw a slight smirk on his face. Shit!

Justuo turned the way we came, and stormed through the gate we had just come from. I looked awkwardly between Kiyo and Ash's intimate posture and Justuo's retreating figure.

"I…am _so_ sorry for interrupting!" I said quickly turning and leaving after Justuo. I followed him, running to keep up with him. "Justuo!" I called after him. He didn't turn. "Sensei!" I snapped. He finally swooped around without warning, causing me to almost run into him.

"What?" Justuo demanded. My eyes widened at the anger in his eyes. Danger flashed in them, and I felt that he was seriously angry.

"Why are you so pissed off!" I shouted in exasperation.

"Because I love Kiyo okay! I'm still in love with her, and she's over there making out with her king!" Justuo shouted.

"Oh shit…" I whispered, meaning for it to be in my head instead of out loud. "You're in love with Kiyo?" I should've known that he still loved Kiyo from their little experiences in the Human World.

"Yes! Are you happy now that you know, nosy little brat!" I flinched at that, and realized his Darkness was flaring up. I stepped back quickly.

"I'm sorry you're upset. But I can't talk to you if you're being cruel and under the influence of Darkness. And Kiyo is weak against Darkness, so you sure as hell can't talk to her," I said calmly. He growled angrily, and stormed a few feet ahead before a detonation blew a small statue up near him.

"Whatever! Tell Kiyo that when she's done fucking His Royal Fucking Majesty, I'll come back!" Justuo yelled. My mouth fell open, and I was too surprised to say anything. As soon as the words left his mouth, I saw regret in his eyes.

"You don't mean that," I finally whispered past my shock. By then, his Darkness was slowly fading.

"No…" Justuo whispered. "I didn't. But I have to go. This shit is messing with my head. Bye Kairi. Sorry for being an ass." Before I could reply, he was jogging towards the Eastern exit of the castle wall.

"Oh my god…" I muttered to myself as I slowly walked back to where I last had seen my friends.

Mizu's Point of View

"Let's go to the Fountain of Wisdom!" I yelled over Yami and Yomi's endless chatter. "That's the one that Tai asked me out at."

"Fine!" Yami called to me loudly. I smiled sheepishly and we walked towards the part of the Garden that held the largest fountain in the entire grounds. Yoru seemed utterly bored as she tagged along with us.

"You know…I think I'm going to train, one-on-one with Rufus for a little while," Yoru said.

"Okay, Yoru," Yomi said hugging her before Yoru waved to Yami and me and left. We continued to the fountain, chatting about random things like the cold weather and how on Monday we were all going to be taught how to fight and defend ourselves.

When the Fountain of Wisdom came into view, I ran forward, and stopped at the edge, peering down into the water to see if my little fishy was there waiting for me. Like always, my little beta-looking fish was swimming near where I always waited for her.

The scales of my fishy were green-blue toward the upper fin, blending in with its black face. Its upper fin was blue at the base and faded into purple at the end. The tail and bottom fins were a beautiful red that reminded me of cherries. Feeling giggly, I stuck my now healed hand into the cold water, and tapped the fish.

Yomi and Yami moved up from behind me, and peered into the water as well. My fishy swam around my hand, circling once before the water suddenly heated up. I gasped, and pulled my hand back quickly. The fish began to glow, and a sharp pain pierced my head.

"Mizu?" Yami and Yomi asked in unison, but the voice in my head rang out louder than their voices.

_Mizuki, dear friend that has kept me company lately, I wish to be your spirit companion through good and bad. My name is Kiroki, and I have chosen you as my master; will you except?_ I feminine voice rang in my head.

I gasped, and looked back to my fish. Joy over flowed me and I shouted out happily. Yami and Yomi gave me looks that told me they thought I had finally lost my mind.

"I do!" I said. "Be my weapon, please!"

"It's a spirit companion?" Yomi asked, finally understanding. "Like Kuroyasha!"

Kiroki dissipated from the water and into me, making me gasp in surprise. As soon as she faded into me, I realized she was a katana with a blue hilt. The stone engraved in the hilt were the colors of Kiroki's fish form.

"Congratulations!" Yomi said, hugging me. "You have a weapon now!"

"And just in time for training on Monday," Kairi called from behind us. We jumped at her random approach. Yomi's eyes turned sly and she ran up to Kairi, automatically badgering her with questions of what happened with Justuo and Ash. I rolled my eyes, and went to Yami's side. She high fived me, and hugged me before congratulating me.

Just as Kairi and Yomi reached us, snowflakes began to fall gently. "Snow!" Yomi squealed, temporarily forgetting Justuo and Ash's little hatred bond. Kairi laughed, and we all started inside to take cover from the frosty cold air.

Kairi's Point of View

Sadly enough, the weekend passed quickly. I had told Kiyo about Justuo's explosion, and she had felt guilty for it. Now that we both knew he was in love with her, it made things a little awkward when we thought about training or even just hanging out with him.

Mizu couldn't stop gushing about Kiroki, her newly found spirit companion. The morning of our first training, Yami came bursting into my room with Nightmare on her heels. Lancer and I both groggily woke to hear Yami exclaiming excitedly.

"Nightmare got me the best present ever! He got me a katana and a gun! Look at it!" Yami said, flailing her katana in the air with one hand and flailing her pistol in the other. I blinked the weariness from my eyes and sat up, smiling.

"That's great, Yami," I yawned. I glanced outside and saw snow had finally stopped falling. Training today would suck.

9


	34. Trouble Only Grows

_**~Chapter Thirty-Three: Trouble Only Grows~**_

Negative's Point of View

The Wednesday morning after Yomi and her friends began official training, I had been sleeping in my room. I didn't realize I had slipped into a vision of the future until I found myself seeing through Kairi's eyes.

I felt that Kairi was panicked and sick to her stomach. Her eyes darted around the surrounding area. They landed on the boy that had caused uproar in the castle not too long ago, Justuo. He was fighting Lightning, which caught me by surprise, but Kairi didn't hesitate to run forward, and tackle Justuo, surprising me even more.

Lightning, bruised and a little battered, quickly recovered, and stood, ready to fight Justuo. Justuo shoved Kairi off of him, and she rolled across the ground like a rag doll from the force of the blow. She felt no pain at this point.

"Justuo!" Kairi screamed at him. It didn't get through. Justuo and Lightning began building Darkness. Before Kairi could jump in, a giant wolf jumped from within Lightning, tackling Justuo off of him.

Lightning's wounds had begun to bleed fluently. Darkness formed an aura around him as he stalked forward. His face showed a twisted smirk courtesy of the wretched black magic. The large wolf was thrown from Justuo, and fire began to erupt around the two of them.

Kairi had to block several detonations flying towards her before they exploded with a tidal wave of energy that knocked Kairi down. The heat of it hadn't bothered her much, and she silently thanked her ability to control fire to give her a slight heat resistance.

When some of Justuo's fire had faded, it revealed Lightning breathing heavily as he savagely lay on the ground, hissing; an automatic reaction for a Vampire. Kairi finally regained herself, jumped up, and ran to stand in between the two boys.

"Kairi, what the hell are you doing?" Justuo asked as if he had finally noticed her.

"Stop hurting him!" Kairi's eyes were watered and desperate as they peered into Justuo's. She held her arms out as if to block Justuo from Lightning. The vision flickered, and swiveled before slowly fading away.

I sat upright in my bed, panting a little. Nausea had the room spinning, and I had to lean back down to let it calm. After a long time of breathing deeply, my mind began to automatically think of possibilities that could explain my most recent vision.

Kairi had stuck up for Lightning? Why in the name of Lord Ash would she stick up for an enemy? And stand against her sensei? Maybe she was attached to the Vampire. I found myself doubting the thought automatically.

Kairi was smarter than that.

But what else could there be?

The answers to my problems lie in wait, and I knew if anyone knew about Kairi's love life it would be love herself.

High noon was upon us as I walked down the corridor that led to the dining hall. My lovely Kiyomi would probably be in there, eating with Kairi, Yoru, and Lady Kiyo. And the good Lord only knows where Mizu and Yami would be; they were always everywhere.

As I entered the dining hall, my eyes scanned the crowds that sat at the stone benches and wooden tables that were clothed with Lord Ash's tradition blue and silver colors. On special occasions, one long table would replace the several smaller tables that usually decorated the dining hall. At the head of the room, there was one long wooden table where Ash's inner circle ate.

After finally finding Kairi's now short pink hair, I walked towards them. I noticed Yomi wasn't there as soon as Kairi looked up and smiled at my approach. "She isn't here, Negative." Her voice sounded apologetic; a huge paradox to the last time I'd heard her, in my vision.

"Hmm," I said, thoughtfully. "Where can I find Yomi, then?"

"She's in the Gardens, like she always is," Yoru answered before Kairi could. I chuckled. Of course she was. She always was.

"Thank you both. I'll be on my way then," I said, walking the way I had come. While walking silently to the outside grounds where the Gardens were, I couldn't stop thinking of how strange my vision was. The more possibilities that came to mind, the stranger I thought the vision was.

Outside, the snow that had made everything slicken and icy was glistening in the soft sunlight. The snow had been removed and melted from the sidewalks by fire users, giving me a clear walkway of the Gardens. In the midst of my busy thoughts, I hoped Yomi had stayed on the path of the sidewalk.

By the time I had found Kiyomi, my mind was racing. She saw me and came to my side immediately. Her smile warmed my heart as she said her greeting, "Hey Negative."

"Hello, dear," I replied, stroking her cheek gently. They both turned light pink as I continued. "Yomi, I have to ask you about something serious."

"Sure, what's wrong?" Yomi's voice had changed to a worried tone. "Are you okay?"

"No, no, I'm fine, love. I just had a vision of the future, and I needed to ask you about it," I said quickly to relieve her worry. Her expression relaxed a little bit, but still showed worry.

"Sure, go ahead," Yomi replied.

"I had a vision of Kairi, Lightning, and Justuo," I said.

Yomi went still, and looked down for a split second before she said, "What was it about?" Her tone was innocently curious, but there was something just beneath her curiosity. I wondered about it as I told her of the vision. When I had finished, she looked a bit paler than she was before, and her mouth hung agape.

"Kairi stood up for Lightning?" Yomi squeaked in what I thought was disbelief. I nodded grimly. "Well that's ridiculous. Why in the worlds would Kairi stand up for her enemy?" She laughed a little, sounding awkward.

"Do you know anything about it?" I asked. She shook her head, looking a little sick. Worry replaced my curiosity.

"Are you okay, Yomi?" I asked, stepping closer. She stumbled back a little, as if surprised that I had moved close to her. "Yomi?"

Her eyes widened, and she quickly said, "No, no, I'm fine. I'm just not feeling so well…" She looked down before her eyes met mine again. "I'm going to go inside. I'm getting really cold."

"Alright, I'll go with you," I offered.

"No, it's fine," Yomi said. "I'll be fine. No need to worry about me."

I watched her retreat the way I had come, and began to think I had said something wrong. Was she really okay? _Did_ I say something wrong? Exasperated, I sighed and began to walk inside, too.

Yomi's Point of View

I had to find Kairi, right now! Guilt twisted my stomach from having to act so dumb with Negative and lie to him. I winced at the thought of hurting his feelings if he ever found out about the lie, which, he probably would.

I quickly ran for the dining hall, hoping to catch Yoru and Kairi before they went back to Guardian Training. Thank God, I got there just as they were standing up to leave. "Kairi!" I said, as soon as I was in her earshot.

She looked up surprised, and then smiled as I ran closer. I guess she realized I didn't have good news and became more worried. "What's wrong?" she asked, immediately.

"Negative had a vision of you and Lightning," I whispered almost inaudible in her ear. Kairi's eyes widened in surprise before her features turned to panic.

"Oh no. What did he see?" she hissed. Yoru and Kiyo looked between us curiously.

"I'll fill you in on everything in a little while," Kairi told them both, taking my wrist and pulling me through the dining hall.

"Alright, I'm going to be training with Rufus!" Yoru called after us. Kairi rounded the corner and went straight for our rooms. I followed her willingly and pulled the door behind us.

As soon as we were safe in her room, she turned to me, panicked. "He had a vision of me and Lightning? What happened in it, Yomi?"

I gave her a quick summary of everything Negative had told me. Kairi's face had paled, and I saw that she was shaking.

"What are we going to do?" she squeaked.

"I don't know! We can't lie to Negative forever! He'll find out! And plus, it isn't right for me to lie to Negative…" I said.

"And not only that, but he'll tell Lord Ash about me and Lightning!" Kairi cried in frustration. She fell onto her bed, and screamed into a pillow. I sat beside her, wishing I didn't have to lie to anyone, period. Why did Kairi have to come to me with Lightning?

I sighed in frustration just as Kiyo, Mizu, and Yami came into the room. I half expected Kiyo to demand what was going on, but she said something that threw me off, and made my stomach clench.

"Guys, Lightning has been reported missing!" Kiyo said, excitedly. Kairi sat straight up, looking a bit pink in the face from her scream.

"What?" we asked in unison, both thinking the same thing; they had overheard our conversation about Lightning and were confronting us about it.

"Ash just got news from his friends on the inside that Lightning has been missing since last weekend! Elliot's at a disadvantage!" Kiyo squealed in joy. I glanced to Mizu and Yami who were both smiling and picking about how excited Kiyo was.

"That's great!" I said, forcing myself to sound excited. Kairi's uneasiness flowed through our open connection, but she made herself smile.

"Good," Kairi said, standing and walking to Kiyo's side. She hugged her and pulled back. And then, to top everything off, Justuo walked through the door.

"Why the heck are you here?" I muttered as Kairi and Kiyo's voices over powered mine. I hoped he had heard me despite them talking over me. Hee, hee, sensitive hearing was the best.

"Hey guys," Justuo said, hugging them both. He threw Kairi an apologetic glance before continuing. "What's new?"

"Lightning is missing!" Kiyo said, jumping up in joy. I was surprised that she was so happy that Lightning was missing. I glanced at Kairi who looked like she was about to be sick.

"Well, Kairi and I are going on a walk. We'll see you guys later," I said, grabbing Kairi's arm. She waved her good-byes to Justuo, Kiyo, and Yami and Mizu as they talked about Lightning's disappearance. Before Justuo could question why Kairi was leaving, we left the room quickly, and headed towards the Inner Training Grounds.

"What are we doing?" Kairi asked, sounding miserable.

"Going to see Yoru," I said simply. "She deserves to know, too." We found her with Rufus, stretching her muscles. When we arrived, Rufus didn't question why we had to 'borrow' Yoru for a little while.

I really loved Rufus; he was so understanding and nice and just plain awesome! We explained to Yoru about the vision and Lightning disappearing. She listened in silence until we finally finished. She stood thoughtfully for several seconds.

"It sounds like Kairi is going to go find him," Yoru finally said. Kairi opened her mouth to protest, but soon found that what Yoru said was true; I felt that she really did want to find him through our connection. She was worried and she missed him. It was strange how much our mind connection allowed me to know about Kairi.

"Sounds like a plan to me," Kairi said smiling. I was unsure about this. What if her leaving to find Lightning was the cause of all this? Shouldn't we avoid making the future come true?

"Are you sure it's a good idea?" I asked, uneasily. I shifted uncomfortably on my feet and found that I was nervous that everything would go downhill. Kairi and Yoru glanced at me.

"Why not? I need to go see why he left in the first place," Kairi said. I looked down, still not liking this.

"I'm sure everything will work out, Yomi. It usually does," Yoru said, touching my shoulder gently. I gave her a half smile and hugged her.

"Thanks, Yoru. Again, you always know just what to say," I said, feeling emotional.

"If I'm gone for more than two hours, come find me," Kairi said before joining the hug and pulling away before we did.

"Will do, Guardian," Yoru said, teasingly. Kairi shook her head, unable to hide her smile. She turned to leave the Inner Training Grounds and was gone in only seconds.

Kiyo's Point of View

"Justuo, I'm glad you came by," I said. And I really meant it. After Justuo had walked in on Ash and me making out, I felt awkward about Justuo having to see it. We hadn't even seen each other since then. Mizu and Yami sat to my right on Kairi's bed while Justuo stayed standing.

"Really?" he asked, teasingly. "I can't imagine why."

"I can. You're a good friend. And another thing…," I began.

"What is it?" Justuo asked, looking curious.

"I wanted to say that I'm sorry you had to see what you saw," I finally managed to say. An awkward silence filled the room.

"Well…that's awkward," Mizu whispered loud enough for everyone to hear. I rolled my eyes and smiled at her.

"State the obvious."

"I did!" she said, laughing. Yami shook her head, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"So, Lightning's gone missing?" Justuo asked, changing the subject immediately. I went with it. I didn't want to make him uncomfortable.

"Yea!" I said exuberantly. Disdain filled me at the mere thought of that stupid leech. He had almost killed my Guardian, several times! And that was completely unacceptable! No one hurts my Shugo Kairi.

"Why do you loathe him so much?" Justuo asked. Because they already knew, Mizu and Yami broke into a little conversation of their own.

"He's hurt Kairi a lot. He almost sucked her dry!" I practically growled. Justuo nodded slowly before putting a hand on my shoulder obviously aware that I was very sensitive to the subject of Kairi's safety and the stupid Vampire that had almost killed her.

"I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" Justuo asked gently.

"You can kill him," I muttered. Justuo let a cocky grin form around his lips.

"I can try," he said as the grin became a smirk. Excitement filled me once again.

"Would you really?" I asked, hopefully.

"Sure. And besides, if I get rid of Lightning for you, maybe it'll help me get on Ash's good side," Justuo said, tauntingly. My smile grew bigger.

"Yea! It's a double win!" I said. Then worry began to gnaw at my stomach. "Wait, you have to be careful."

Justuo waved his hand dismissively. "No way! It'll be fun. The little bloodsucker won't stand a chance."

I sighed, and finally agreed "Fine. But do be careful. For me?" I asked, teasingly.

"For you," Justuo said rolling his eyes in defeat then smiling. "See you, babe."

"Bye!" Mizu and Yami called after him as he left out of Kairi's door.

Kairi's Point of View

I'd had to ask Lord Ash for permission to go out before our Training Break was over. I told him I only wanted to go into town, maybe a little farther than that to get some fresh air and alone time between Kuroyasha, Ryokua, and me (technically, it wasn't a lie...) He'd told me it was fine, and that he understood the wanting to get out of the castle; he understood the trapped feeling of the castle walls.

Kuroyasha and I trudged through the snow. I thanked myself for dressing warmly today as the cold winter's wind whipped around us briskly. The snow wasn't too deep here, and I found that relaxing. If I did have to fight Justuo off of Lightning, at least the snow wouldn't swallow me.

Ryokua swooped down from up high above the tree tops of the surrounding area. He landed on my outstretched arm, and ruffled his feathers a little to warm up.

_Nothing new, Lady Kairi. I haven't seen Lightning yet, but I did feel a presence not far from here,_ Ryokua thought in my mind.

_Can you lead us, then?_ Kuroyasha asked. Ryokua squawked softly before answering.

_Of course. It's not far; right near the wall of the castle._ Ryokua took flight, and Kuroyasha followed after with me on her back. As she ran and the cold air blew through our hair, I, too, felt the presence Ryokua felt.

But I knew the presence wasn't Lightning's. His was gentle, calm, and understanding towards me. This presence I felt was wild, free-willed, and fiery.

Fiery. That should have been my first clue.

Upon arriving at the Northern-most part of East Wall of the castle where the trees and grass usually met the town, I saw fire. That definitely threw me off; fire in the middle of snow?

Ryokua flew down from the skies, and landed on my shoulder.

_Your sensei is ahead. I don't see any sign of Lightning,_ Ryokua thought to me. Kuroyasha mentally growled in frustration. The fire faded away to reveal Justuo running through the snow. He seemed to be on a destined path, and I found myself drawn to follow him.

_Follow sensei!_ I shouted in my head to both of them. Kuroyasha followed after him and Ryokua took to the skies again. Silence was thick in the air except for the quiet _swish_ of the snow as Justuo and Kuroyasha ran through it. Hopefully, Justuo wouldn't notice us. We were about twenty to thirty yards behind him; he wouldn't notice us, right?

We entered a forested area, losing sight of Ryokua's dark black-blue feathered body. In the forest, the wind was colder because of the shade the trees provided. Justuo ran for a long time without getting tired, and I marveled at his stamina. It had been far too long since I'd seen my sensei in action.

With precise and sudden agility, he jumped through an opening in the trees, and came out into a large grove. _Stop!_ I thought automatically to Kuroyasha as Justuo froze in place. Kuroyasha hunkered down, and slid to a stop in the soft, shallow snow; the trees' canopies had blocked a lot of the snow from falling to the floor of the forest.

Justuo stood still, sniffing the air around him. A smirk formed on his lips and he spoke. "Hello, old friend."

Out of the shadows of the trees near us, Lightning stepped into view, almost making me gasp aloud and blow our cover. He stepped forward, and I saw a dangerous precision to his measured movements.

"Justuo," Lightning said, nodding. His voice lacked emotion, and seemed as cold as the air around him. "Why do you seek me?"

"I have a little mission to get rid of your existence, but first, I must ask something of you," Justuo paused to let a sadistic smile coat his lips. "Why have you run away from home?"

Lightning's eyes flashed red and stayed tainted by the color. "The same reason you ran away, Justuo! Why did you run away? Were you racked with guilt about killing your _friend_ Razor? Could you not face the fact that you're nothing but a monster, Justuo?" Lightning sneered.

What the hell was going on! Confusion covered my mind in dangerous hazy clouds. Who was Razor? And what the hell was Lightning talking about? And how the hell did they know each other?

Kuroyasha mentally growled at the dangerous sparks that surrounded the air around Justuo. A sick feeling twisted my stomach when I felt that they were both using Darkness. I hated Darkness. _Ryokua, come to me,_ I thought. I felt him form in my hand before Justuo replied.

This time, there was a hysterical edge to his tone. "When I went to Elliot, I left the people that really loved me and fought for me behind! I realized that my true friends, my true _family_ were all left behind and that I was truly alone! But you're so damn weak and tainted with Darkness that you wouldn't be able to understand such a feeling." Justuo's voice was angry, hysterical, and screamed _danger!_

Lightning darted forward, Fangira forming in his hand. I didn't think; I only acted. I threw myself off of Kuroyasha's back, and darted into the snowy open grove. Neither of them noticed me.

Justuo drew forth Demilay, and was defending himself from Lightning's onslaught of attacks. They were so fast it was hard for me to keep up. Both of them were reveling in Darkness, making it hard for me to stand to be so close.

"Stop!" I shouted at them, running forward. They both didn't seem to notice me in there quick jabs and swings. I threw Ryokua as hard as I could, sending him as far as I could, knowing it would do more damage that way than if I were to actually swing at them.

It flew right in between them and slipped right past Justuo and Lightning, sticking into the ground not far from them. Kuroyasha was the next to be summoned, and she came quickly as Ryokua returned to my mind.

"What the hell is going on?" I shouted in anger. When no one turned to look at me, I began to notice them each collecting small cuts and gashes as the battle continued. Justuo kicked Lightning down onto the ground.

Enough was enough. I ran forward in a panic, and tackled Justuo to the ground as well. We hit it with a quick grunt from both of us, giving Lightning enough time to recover.

Justuo lashed wildly, throwing me across the cold wet ground. I fell limp in the freezing snow. I screamed, "Justuo!" He didn't even turn to acknowledge the call. Damn it…the Darkness was getting almost unbearable by this point.

Before I could jump up, Fangira erupted from Lightning's hand, tackling Justuo away from him. I gasped in surprise when they hit the ground. My body was numb from the cold, and, stumbling, I quickly stood.

Lightning's wounds were bleeding heavily. The Darkness he was controlling made an aura around him as he stalked forward, ready to end my sensei. A twisted smirk played on his lips. Fangira was thrown from Justuo and skidded across the ground not too far away from me.

Fire swarmed the area in detonations and flames, licking every inch Justuo told it to. Several flew towards me, and I had to block them before they exploded. The heat wave sent me flying backwards, warming my cold body. I thanked my ability to control fire and the fact that it gave me a resistance to heat or I would be fried.

When the flurries of dancing flames finally faded a little, I saw that Lightning was on the ground, breathing shallow wild breaths. With each breath came a hiss. The sight set me in motion, and I found myself running towards them. I jumped in between them, my arms spread open wide as I faced Justuo.

"Kairi, what the hell are you doing here?" he asked. I wanted to slap him! He was just now noticing me? My eyes watered in anger, frustration, and worry.

"Stop hurting him!" The desperation was so thick in my voice; I found it hard to believe that it was mine. Justuo's sword was still clutched in his hand.

"Why?" he asked, sounding irritated, but the Darkness was slowly fading from them both. Lightning spoke up.

"Kairi," he managed to hiss. Justuo looked down at him in disgust.

"Don't say my kohai's name, filth," Justuo growled. "Kohai" meant "student."

"Stop!" I yelled. Justuo looked back to me, and seemed astonished. Lightning heaved in pain. My poor Lightning…Blood was even seeping from his mouth. My stomach churned painfully at the sight.

_Too much…too much to take…_

My head spun, and I found myself running through the cold snow. Footsteps followed, and I tried to run faster, only slipping on the snow below me. "Kairi, would you explain to me what the hell's going on?" Justuo asked, catching my hand, and jerking us to a stop.

I jerked my hand away from him, and turned on Justuo. I lunged forward, lashing out wildly at him. "I hate you!" I shouted hysterically. He caught my hands in his quickly, pulling me forward and unbalancing me. I struggled in his grip desperately.

"Kairi…calm down…" he soothed, sounding more like him. I twisted my body around so I could kick him, or bite him or cause him pain in some way.

"You…I hate you so much!" I screamed thrashing wildly. Looking back on the scene now, it was almost like we had switched positions. He shoved me down to the ground despite the cold snow, and got on top of my back, pinning me down. I shouted and screamed.

"Kairi! Calm down! Tell me what I did!" Justuo said, trying to yell over my shouts. My shouts turned into hysterical sobs, as I kept thrashing against his hold, though I knew it was useless, especially when I was in such a state.

"You…Lightning…" I cried. I finally stopped fighting and let my body rack with sobs. I began to feel the pain of him holding my hands behind my back and the cold frostbite on my body.

After awhile, he finally released my hands. They fell to the snow by my sides. Tears, snow, water and dirt from the ground coated my face. Justuo rose from the ground, and crouched beside my crying figure.

"What about Lightning, Kairi?" Justuo asked slowly, very gently. He seemed to be acting like I was a fragile broken thing on the ground and I would snap in an instant and attack him again.

"You hurt Lightning…" I panted, trying to not sob. "Justuo…you hurt him so badly…"

"He's your enemy, isn't he?" Justuo asked, gently. He reached towards me. I punched at him, hitting his arm.

"Don't touch me!" I shouted, and struggled away from him. I stood and was soon pinned again. This time, I blasted fire towards him. He gasped, and jumped backwards. The flames had no effect except for surprise.

I took off running, needing to get away from him, to get away from everything. I hadn't gotten very far before I was tackled to the ground, _again_. "Let go!" I shrieked, struggling as hard as I could against him.

"Kairi! Stop this, god Dammit! Calm down, and tell me what I did wrong!" Justuo shouted at me. My weak form slumped once again, this time staying that way for a long time and crying. He didn't get up this time, only waiting for me to calm down.

"What's wrong, kohai?"

"You hurt Lightning…Justuo…he could die…" I sobbed. I knew I wasn't supposed to say anything about this, and that I was supposed to only confide in Yomi and Yoru about Lightning, but he was the only one there and it just bubbled from my mouth before I could stop it.

"Yes, Kairi, I hurt him because he's your enemy. Kiyo told me to," Justuo said gently. He took each of my wrists in his hands and separated them. He rolled me onto my back, my wrists still being bound by his strong hands for a few hesitant seconds before he slowly rose as if he was afraid I'd run again. He obviously didn't trust me much. My tears stopped streaming, leaving a wet, sticky face with my hair clinging to it.

"You're in love with him," he said after a long time. Surprise twisted through me as I watched him. His eyes only showed truth, and nothing else. He gave a sad smile.

"I know what it feels like to be in love," Justuo said. He glanced away from me for several moments before he held his hand out to me. I took it and he pulled me up. Seeing the surprise still painted on my face, Justuo said, "You're still very easy to read, Kairi."

I nodded, and realized I was shivering. Despite that, I wanted answers and he was going to give them to me.

Lightning's Point of View

The pain in my body became more apparent as I struggled to try and stand up and go to My Kairi. Whether I was angry with her or not, I needed her as she needed me. Seeing Justuo today had brought back sick memories of the past, and I had really let the Darkness inside me be tampered with.

Justuo used to work for Elliot, alongside me, Midnight, Even (who was now dead, thanks to Justuo…), Trace, Razor, and Raven. He and I learned Darkness from Trace, Raven, and Razor, Raven's now deceased brother. I had watched us both turn into monsters because of the Darkness. And Trace had been a cruel, heartless bastard to Justuo. He gave me leeway with me being a Vampire, but Feavii and Vampires don't like each other much.

Justuo found out that Elliot was only using him as a tool, and in a blind rage, killed Razor, one of his actual close friends. He then tried to fight Elliot himself. It was futile. After struggling against the immortal being, he was tossed to the ground like a limp doll. And his friends saved him in time to get him to safety before he died. I envied him for his freedom.

"Lightning!" A loud, yet familiar voice interrupted my thoughts. I collapsed on the cold ground again, and saw Kairi's friends, Kiyomi and Eienyoru emerging from the woods and entering the grove.

"Oh shoot!" Kiyomi squeaked. "You're hurt real bad!"

"I have to get to Kairi," I said, automatically. I tried to lift myself off the ground with my arms. Fangira had finally regained himself and came running to my side. He nudged me gently, worried.

"Kairi's just fine," Kiyomi said, kneeling down beside me. I was reluctant to have her so close. "You need some help?"

Her statement was phrased as a question, and I hesitated before answering. "I need Kairi," I said avoiding her question.

"Well you can't help Kairi by sitting here, bleeding to death," Kiyomi said. She pulled out a dagger and Fangira growled. "Easy, I'm trying to help." She lifted her arms, defenseless.

"Fangira, enough," I finally said, quietly. The weakness of blood loss was too much to take. Kiyomi held her hand up and I weakly gave her my arm, not really sure what to expect. I was more than a little surprised when she slashed her blade across my arm deeply.

I didn't flinch, but Fangira growled. "Calm down," I said. He heaved and circled restlessly. Slowly, I felt myself gain strength. My wounds began to close, and seal, filling me with warmth and comfort. Before I knew it, I was completely healed.

"There," Kiyomi said standing and allowing her dagger to fade away. I looked at my arms and clenched my fists in awe. I was healed.

"Thank you…," was all I could manage to say. Fangira licked my cheek, and nudged me. I stood, wobbling a little, and using Fangira for a support. Then I turned in the direction Kairi and Justuo had ran to.

Kiyomi and Eienyoru followed me as I ran forward. When I found Kairi, her skin was raw from the cold frost bite, and her clothing was soaked from snow. She was shivering, and Justuo was talking to her solemnly. I ran forward. Kairi's attention fell on me, and her eyes widened.

"Lightning!" she shouted. Her voice was my light in my darkest night. She ran forward, despite her shaking legs. Justuo's gaze followed her, guarded. Kairi threw herself into my arms, and I caught her easily. Her scent comforted me, and I held her tightly.

"I'm sorry, Kairi," I murmured. "You shouldn't have to see me that way." Kairi sniffled from the cold before looking up into my eyes with her pretty blue ones.

"You're okay, Lightning…" she breathed. Her face sank into my chest, and I pressed my lips to the top of her head. Justuo's gaze watched our exchange. Kiyomi and Eienyoru came to stop near us. His eyes landed on them, and I saw that he was frustrated.

"Does every one fucking know about this?" Justuo snapped, waving his hand at Kairi in my arms. She cringed at the harshness of his voice. My eyes narrowed at him.

"No, and they won't be finding out," I said, icily. Justuo's eyebrow rose in amusement.

"Or what, leech? Are you going to suck me dry like you almost did to Kairi?" Justuo's voice was hard as stone, and I had to grind my teeth to not allow my fangs to slip out. Kairi pulled back, and looked at Justuo.

"Stop it!" Kairi snapped. "Both of you leave each other alone, and stop!" Kairi's voice quivered with tears. What had Justuo done to her while I was gone?

"Kairi, we _really_ have to go…," Kiyomi whispered. She looked back at them before turning back to me.

"I'm sorry Justuo hurt you. But you have to go home, Lightning," Kairi whispered. My chest wrenched, and I found myself holding Kairi to my heart even tighter. I didn't want to leave her and go back to the castle that condemned me for eternity.

"The marriage was moved up…" I breathed feeling sick to my stomach. Kairi's face faltered. "Go home. I'll find you soon enough and we'll talk. About everything, my love."

"Kairi…," Kiyomi prompted uncomfortably. Justuo went to Eienyoru's side, and waited for Kairi and me to part. With one last kiss to her forehead, I stepped back. Fangira and Kuroyasha nodded to one another before crossing paths and going to each of our sides.

"Bye," Kairi said.

"Good-bye, love," I murmured before turning and getting on Fangira's back. Before I could change my mind, I told Fangira to get me to Elliot's castle, where I'm sure punishment was waiting for me.

Kairi's Point of View

Begging was a sign of weakness. It was one of the few things Justuo had taught me in the Human World when he used to train me there. And yet, here I was, begging him to not tell my darkest secret. He probably was definitely looking down on me now.

"You've been keeping all of this from Kiyo this entire time?" Justuo asked hotly. He was definitely angry. "And now you expect me to keep it a secret?"

"Justuo, please! I'll tell her, but _I _need to be the one to tell her!" I begged as the lions neared the castle wall again. Justuo was quiet for a long time. He and I were riding on Kuroyasha and Shiroyasha carried Yomi and Yoru.

For a long time, I thought he wasn't going to answer, and I quickly began to formulate a new way to try and persuade him. He finally answered before I could say my new thoughts. "You have to promise me you will tell her, Kairi. And I fucking mean it," he said, still sounding angry.

"I will! But I will myself and it has to be at the right time," I said, trying to concentrate on what was ahead of us instead of the sickening guilt in my gut.

"I'll keep my mouth shut," Justuo said reluctantly. I smiled to myself in relief even though the smile made me want to cry instead of feel joyous. "I'm trusting you, Kairi. Don't make me regret it."

"I won't, Justuo-sensei," I replied.

Coming through the east gate of the castle and into the Gardens, Justuo said, "I'll cover for you guys. Just get to the Training Courtyard. Then I'll come and join you in a bit."

"Thank you, sensei," I said as Kuroyasha faded back into me and we landed on the ground.

"Sure, sure," Justuo muttered before walking away. Yoru and I exchanged glances before Yomi said something.

"Isn't he just peachy? He needs to get some looser tights or something. Or maybe it's just the glitter up his butt." Her joke lightened the mood and made us laugh as we made our way to the Guardian Training Courtyard.

13


	35. Secretive Arrangements

_**~Chapter Thirty-Four: Secretive Arrangements~**_

Yomi's Point of View

Kairi changed before actually going to the Training Courtyard. I can't say I blame her. She was soaked, and freezing cold. She warmed up after drying off and using some fire magic. I started a fire in her room so it would be comfortable when she got back from training. I was kinda worried that she would get sick. We reluctantly returned to the Inner Training Grounds to finish up training.

After watching Kairi and Yoru train in the cold for a long time, they were finally dismissed. Justuo (finally) left after training, and Kairi and Yoru went to change. They were supposed to meet me in my room when they were done so we could meet up for dinner.

I opened the door to my room, and saw that one of my chairs was in front of the window near my bed. I stepped in, and could have sworn I heard an eerie organ playing in the back ground.

The chair turned around, and I found myself looking at Negative. The dimly lit room gave me a haunted feeling as the fire casted dancing shadows across his face and the walls behind him. "Umm…hey, Negative," I said, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"Would you mind explaining to me why I saw you, Kairi, Yoru, and Justuo with Lightning? And why you healed Lightning with Forgiveness?" Negative asked. The blood drained from my face.

I chuckled nervously. "Well, th-that wasn't Lightning. That was Thunder," I lied horribly. Negative saw through me.

"He had blue eyes," Negative said, flatly.

"You were that close?" I squeaked trying to stall.

"I saw it in my mind," he said, simply; his face portrayed no emotion.

"Oh…oh no…," I said, feeling dizzy.

Negative's face softened into a gently, hurt-looking expression. My heart ached at how vulnerable he looked. "Yomi, what are you keeping from me?" His voice was so gentle that I wanted to cry.

I threw myself to the ground in front of his feet, and began to sob in guilt. "I'm sorry, Negative!" I groaned. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to lie! I don't deserve your forgiveness." Negative's face became shocked.

"Y-Yomi?" he asked, sounding bewildered. Just as he said it, the door swung open, and Kairi and Yoru walked in.

"Umm…" Kairi said in confusion. I looked up at her and saw that she was looking a bit concerned that I was on the floor, crying at Negative's feet.

"He knows about you and Lightning!" I said, hitting my head on the floor. I was such a failure…

"Oh no!" Kairi said, twitching before dropping to her knees in front of Negative and grabbing his hand. Looking more than a little freaked out, Negative watched her as she began begging to not tell Ash or Kiyo. Yoru looked around looking like she was in an Anime and she had a sweat drop hovering near her head.

"I have to tell Ash," Negative said firmly. Kairi shook her head frantically. "Kairi, I'm sorry but I," Kairi cut him off.

"Yoru, help me!" Kairi called to her. Yoru pinched the bridge of her nose before speaking.

"Kairi is in love with Lightning," Yoru began. Negative's eyes didn't show surprise. Had he guessed it? Apparently…

"We can't tell Ash, though!" Kairi blurted still clutching Negative's hand.

And so it progressed; Kairi's begging, Yoru's reasoning, and my terrible guilt. Hours seemed to pass when finally; Kairi crossed her arms and flopped onto the floor.

"I am just going to lay and wait. I'm going to sit here until I die. When you promise you won't tell Kiyo, then I'll move," Kairi said stubbornly. Negative, looking completely exasperated, pinched the bridge of his nose before stepping over her and walking to Yoru.

"Yoru, you understand that I must tell Ash about this, don't you?" Negative sighed sounding exhausted.

"How about this?" Yoru said after a moment of thinking. "As a friend, keep this quiet. We'll be careful, and keep an eye on Kairi and Lightning. If anything starts to go wrong, we will tell Kiyo immediately."

Negative looked Yoru up and down before glancing behind him at Kairi. She was watching intently, waiting for an answer. Then Negative looked at me, and sighed gently.

"Fine," Negative agreed turning back to Yoru. I stood quickly and helped Kairi to her feet.

"But you have to promise if we get caught that you knew _nothing_ about it; that way you won't get in trouble if we mess up," I said, taking his hand. Negative looked into my eyes for several moments before caving into my pleading gaze.

"Fine," he repeated.

"Thank you so much!" Kairi shouted, hugging Negative tightly. He swayed at the force of her hug, a bit wide eyed.

"Sure," Negative said, sounding a bit awkward. Negative and Kairi weren't that close, but they were friends. Kairi pulled away and smiled sheepishly before hugging Yoru and then me.

"Thank all of you guys," she whispered. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Anytime," I said, warmly. She smiled, eyes watering.

"Don't go crying on us, Guardian," Yoru teased. Kairi shook her head, and blinked the tears of happiness away.

"We've got dinner soon," she said as if to distract herself. Yoru and I both nodded in agreement. Negative took my hand in his, interloping our fingers as we walked out of my room, and towards the dining hall. Things would be okay…but I still felt ever so guilty…

Kairi's Point of View

That night I slept so soundly, that I thought it had only been for a second that I had laid down. When I woke, Lancer was the one standing over me. I yawned, feeling well rested, and ready to train full force today.

Seeing Lancer had made me think of Lightning, and in turn made me excited for his visit. He didn't say when he was coming, but only that he would find me. I would trust him. He was probably really upset about Midnight…Elliot made my blood boil.

And what was up with that crazy shit about Justuo and Lightning training under Trace? Justuo had told me a bunch of crap like he used to work for Elliot, and he was trained by Trace. Did that mean Trace was my sensei's sensei? And if it did…I was learning things that Trace already knew! I mentally shuddered.

Apparently, Trace, Justuo, Lightning, Raven, Even and some guy named Razor (who was supposedly Raven's now-dead-brother…) were all training buddies "back in the day." What the hell did that mean? What else had happened that we didn't know about?

_Next thing you know, we'll hear Midnight and Justuo had a thing before he liked Miki,_ I thought to myself. The thought made me shudder again, and I continue to ponder my new information, and how I would tell Kiyo.

Well I couldn't tell Kiyo straight up. She would wonder how it had come up in conversation. And I couldn't just march up and say, "Hey, Kiyo, guess what! The guy that you hate with a fiery passion and I have been kissing behind your back! Did I mention he's Elliot's Vampire general? Not only that, but we're in love! Well, when Justuo went to go kill him today, I took Justuo on to save him. And you wouldn't believe, but they know each other really well! Apparently, they used to be best buddies for life!"

No. Hell no. That would never fly with Kiyo.

As my internal babble continued, I dressed in my (recently bought) grey sweats and pink and grey shirt. Once finished, I said farewell to Lancer and left to meet up with my friends in the hallway.

Yoru and Kiyo stood there, both dressed in training sweats and waiting for the others. Mizu, Yami, and Yomi came sprinting down the hall towards us. I had a feeling Yami and Mizu had had some coffee. Yomi was _always_ energetic, so I didn't pay much mind to her hyper attire.

Our group walked in silence except for the small chatter between Yami, Mizu, and Yomi. The drowsy atmosphere quickly faded when we stepped into the cold, brisk air of the early winter morning. As we breathed white clouds of puff came from our mouths.

"It is too fucking cold and too fucking early for this!" Mizu wailed. Yomi smacked her forehead in exasperation, knowing it was pointless to scold Mizu for her foul language.

"Agreed," Kiyo and I said in unison to Mizu. We hurried quickly into the Inner Training Grounds. Once inside the warm gym-like building, we stripped our coats and began to warm up.

When done, Rath told us to run laps; twenty minutes nonstop for Yoru and me, five minutes for the others. Five minutes of running was easy for us now. The running flew by like usual.

Then we split. Guardian Haru, Rath, Rufus and Night Rider trained us in groups. Guardian Haru took Yomi and me, teaching us how to enhance our fire. Night Rider took Mizu and Yami into physical combat. Kiyo trained more with water alongside Rath. Rufus helped Yoru on centering herself and using her senses to their full height.

Lunch time came, and I found myself eating and hurrying to the Gardens to see if Lightning was going to come today. Despite the cold, I felt unusually warm. Maybe it was the fact that I was so excited for Lightning to come. He knew I had a good three hour break around lunch time, and I would be waiting.

Time ticked by, and I almost left, thinking he wasn't coming. But just as I stood, I heard him, and felt his presence. He stepped from the bushes that he usually came from. At the mere sight of him, I was automatically drawn forward. I ran right into his open arms as if they were my home.

"Kairi," Lightning murmured. His voice made me melt under its gentle caring tone. "I've come for you."

"You're here! I'm so glad," I breathed. And I was. Even if had only been a day since the last time we had seen each other, it seemed like too long. His scent, calming and comforting, washed over me. I smiled to myself.

"I'm glad I'm here, too. I needed to hold you again. And I know you're confused," Lightning said, pulling back so he could see into my eyes. "I'm here now. Tell me what you want to know, Kairi. And I will do my best to answer it."

The truth in his eyes was over-whelming. I couldn't help smiling before sobering and asking him a serious question. "Why did you run away?"

"I ran because I saw you," Lightning paused for a moment as if pain stopped him from speaking. "And I saw your servant. You were kissing, and that made me so angry, got me so upset, that when I returned to Master Elliot's castle, and heard the news about the wedding being moved up, I couldn't help but run. I had to get away from everything. The pain, the sorrow, the anger, everything that seemed to embrace me at the moment," Lightning was so caught up in explaining his feelings, that he hadn't even stopped for a breath. He sucked in at the end, still planning on continuing when he had the air, but I quickly put one finger over his lips to calm the typhoon of words he was about to spill.

"It's okay," I whispered the words, feeling tears swell in my eyes. He had seen Lancer and me, kissing on the balcony. He had been there. Why was I so stupid! "Everything's okay now, Lightning." My voice trembled.

"But it isn't, Kairi, because I don't love Midnight, I love you," he breathed. In that moment, I had never been more scared. Echo, Fear's giant spider, Fluffy, or even Elliot himself didn't compare to how scared I was of losing Lightning. I clenched his shirt in my hand as if to hold onto him forever.

"Don't leave me," I whispered panicked.

"I couldn't if I even wanted to," Lightning said, cupping my cheek. "You're my light, Kairi. Every time I get upset, and the Darkness starts to mess with my head, I think of you, your soft skin, your brilliant blue eyes, and your touch. Every little detail that I love about you," Lightning whispered. I couldn't help be smile and pull him closer. In turn, he dropped his hand and wrapped it around me.

"Is it true that you and Justuo trained together under Trace?" I asked. Lightning nodded. "And that you both learned Darkness together?" Again, he nodded. "And Elliot almost killed him in his attempt at escape?" Another nod. "I didn't know any of that," I said, thoughtfully.

"It's a gruesome tale that has to be told another time. For now, I want to hold you," Lightning said, sweeping me off my feet (quite literally) and cradling me close to him. I relaxed and allowed it. After what seemed like only seconds (which were actually minutes) Lightning sat me down, and kissed my forehead. I smiled sadly, knowing goodbye was coming.

"I must go, love," Lightning said. I nodded before standing on my tip-toes and kissing him. The kiss ended too quickly, and I found myself standing there alone when my friends came up.

"Hey Kairi," Yomi said. "Are you taking a nature walk or something?" Her teasing tone snapped me out of my daze, and I turned to greet them.

"Maybe, maybe not," I returned her teasing tone. She rolled her eyes, and Kiyo giggled.

"While we're out here on this cold brisk afternoon, let us walk," Kiyo said in a fake English accent. We all laughed and began walking towards the Fountain of Shadow and Aurora. This was one of my favorite fountains. One half was the personification of Darkness, and the other half was the personification of Light.

The clear water of the Light side of the fountain inhabited a black koi fish with a white spot, and the dark, murky water of the Dark side was inhabited by a white koi fish with a black spot. Pure, clear water trickled from the Dark side into the Light side, and tainted, yucky water trickled from the Light side to the Dark.

I loved this fountain. As we approached it, I felt a presence. Strange as it may sound, I thought I knew the presence. It was a gentle, kind, and almost fragile presence. Kiyo felt it immediately, and stopped on the Light side of the fountain. She held her arm up, and took a deep breath.

"Someone's here," Kiyo whispered. We fell very still and Yoru tensed, as if ready to fight in case of danger.

"But it isn't someone bad," Yomi said after a few moments of feeling with her sixth sense. Yoru relaxed and Yami and Mizu just looked around like they were clueless. I allowed my sixth sense to allow me to feel for who or what this presence could belong to.

"Lea," Kiyo whispered as soon as I realized whoever it was, it was a Light being.

"What?" I asked. My confusion mirrored the others as we watched Kiyo.

"Her name is Lea, and she's a Light Phoenix. She's only five," Kiyo whispered, her eyes sparkling. "Lea, come here."

There was shifting of the air around us, and a warm feeling filled me from head to toe. It felt like the same feeling Kiyo made me feel when she was healing me from injuries. I found that my friends were also feeling it.

"She's scared and sad," Kiyo breathed.

Suddenly, a little girl with blond hair popped out of a bush right near the fountain. She had tears on her face.

"Lea, come here, little girl," Kiyo said, coaxing the small girl from the bush.

"Will they hurt me?" Lea whispered, pointing a shaking finger at us. I felt myself blush. Was I intimidating or something?

"No, of course not. They're friends of mine," Kiyo said, crouching down, and holding her hand out to Lea. She only hesitated for a moment before running to Kiyo. She enveloped Lea in her arms, embracing her tightly.

"Mommy, where's King?" Lea asked, crying. Kiyo picked her up and patted her back. Okay, I was missing something. Mommy? King? What? As I thought that, Kiyo turned towards the castle and began walking.

"I'll take you to Ash, sweetheart. Hold on just a second," Kiyo murmured. "Guys, we need to get Lea inside to Ash." Surely they were speaking to each other in their minds, because I didn't understand anything that was going on.

I glanced at Yoru and Yomi who just shrugged and began to follow Kiyo. Yami and Mizu, clueless as ever, followed after me. When we got inside, and to the throne room, Ash was sitting on his throne.

"Ash, I found a little girl named Lea. She was looking for you," Kiyo explained while still holding Lea. Ash's eyes widened when they fell on Lea, and he quickly stood, closing the distance between him and Kiyo.

"Lea, dear?" Ash asked.

"King!" Lea cried in what seemed to be joy or relief. "You're here! My tree is gone! And my sissy is dead! The black ones killed the rest of us!"

My face was a huge question mark, and I know my friends' faces mirrored mine, even Kiyo's. Ash took Lea in his arms, and cradled the little girl like she was a baby (which, technically, she _was_ five…)

After several minutes of comforting from Ash, Lea seemed to calm down. He walked back to his throne and sat Lea down on it. "Here, stay right there for a little while. Rath will play with you, right Rath?"

Rath looked up from his book. "Uh, sure?" Ash nodded while Rath stood. Ash ushered us out of the room quickly, and stopped when we were out of earshot.

"Uh, what the heck is going on?" I blurted. Yoru gave me a disapproving look as Ash cleared his throat to explain.

"Lea is a Light Phoenix that was being protected by Nanonalie near the Sanctuary Entrance near your house, Kairi. Lea and her sister were taken care of there with lots of other young Phoenixes. A long time ago, 'the black ones,' or rather the dead Phoenixes that are under Raven's control came and destroyed most of them. After the deaths of all of the young Phoenixes except for Lea and her older sister, Midnight came and finished Lea's sister off while Nanonalie was busy. Lea was the only survivor besides Nanonalie. She sent word to me that Lea would be arriving soon, but we never saw any sign of her arrival. Feeling Kiyo's presence, the presence of the Queen Phoenix to-be probably coaxed Lea out of hiding." When Ash was done explaining, it took awhile for the information to sink in.

"But why did she call me Mommy?" Kiyo asked, sounding a bit bewildered.

"You're the Mother Phoenix, the strongest Phoenix that's ever been. That's why most Phoenixes refer to you as their mother. Centuries ago, you disappeared from the worlds. Most Phoenixes lost hope, and went into hiding. Phoenixes are rare, and most are sentenced to death if found. Now that you've returned, they have regained their hope. They're rising again, and now they are awaiting your climax so that you shall rein again."

I was shocked to the point where I couldn't speak. Kiyo seemed a bit paler. "I have all that responsibility?" she squeaked. Ash smiled gently at her, and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's alright, love. I'll be here for you through it all," Ash said, confidently. I couldn't help but be filled with the love and adoration that was coursing from Kiyo. After a few moments, we returned to Lea who was playing peek-a-boo with Rath.

I savored the cuteness of the moment as we made our way to Lea and Rath.

Thunder's Point of View

_The dark, cloudy sky will be great for cloaking me,_ I thought as I walked down the West Wing main corridor. I was going to see my lovely Grace-Lilly before leaving on my task. She wouldn't think much of it, especially considering she had to deal with Lady Fonda, her formality instructor.

I tapped on the door, and waited for Lilly's soft voice to invite me in. When it did, I came into her valiant room. The theme of her room was based on ancient royalty and consisted of lush, red, velvet cushioned seats that matched her comforter. Her windows were cover with great red drapes to block out any excess sunlight.

Lilly's room looked fit for a Queen in the Human's World's Medieval Period. With the exception of the television above her obsidian fire place and the radio system beside her laptop that sat on her desk.

She was lying on her large, comfortable bed when my eyes found her. She was wearing her silk nightgown and looked like she had just awoken. The sun had set only minutes ago, and I knew that was when she rose. Instead of going through the trouble of being bewitched to except sunlight, my lovely Lilly had decided to bare her curse gladly.

"Hey, silly goose," Lilly said, drowsily. Her English accent made her adorable as I walked to her beside, and kneeled down to level with her. "How was your day?"

"Lovely, though I really missed you being there with me. How was your night?"

"Slept like a baby," Lilly commented. I smiled, and kissed her forehead. She smiled in return, and took my hand in her's. "You seem to be distracted, Thunder. Are you okay love?" She glanced at my attire, and saw that I was wearing my black traveling cloak.

"Fine, fine," I said quickly, seeing the worry that instantly sprang to life on her features. "I just have a few errands to run tonight, and won't have much time to be alone with you before the sun comes up." I sighed when I was finished, upset that I had to leave her for my own selfish matters.

"Okay, love. That's fine with me," Lilly said, touching my face with her free hand. Her kindness made me smile, and I kissed her hand.

"Until we meet, my lady," I said. grinning her favorite gentleman grin.

"Until then, my lovely warrior," Lilly breathed. I kissed her softly for a few moments before taking my leave. I pulled the hood of my cloak on, slipped down the hallway, and made my way to the Garden Courtyard. Once outside in the cold, still night air, I went for the West Gate.

It didn't take much to get me out; the guard keepers never questioned Lord Ash's inner circle. In the streets of our town, I made my way to the edge of it, hoping to get far enough away from civilization that no one would question me.

And once there, I opened a portal to the Sanctuary. Blending into its shadows, I quickly came out in a windy plain of grass. At first, I saw nothing but the dark shadows of the clouds around the moon. But their presences found me, and I was almost knocked breathless when they came into my line of vision.

Haruka, my precious baby sister, flanked by my mother and Lightning. Haruka dashed towards me, and leaped into my arms. I caught her automatically. "Brother!" the seven year old shouted excitedly. She clung to my neck and I held her tightly.

"Haruka, you've gotten so big," I breathed.

"I miss you, so much, Lightning!" Haruka said. I sat her on her feet and she wrapped her arms around my leg, hugging it tightly. Mother walked up to me, looking worn, but strong and motherly like she always had been. She wrapped her arms around me and squeezed me like she used to when Lightning and I were younger.

"Son, I've missed you," she said, before pulling back and smiling at me. "And I'm proud of you. You saved yourself from that wretched tyrant. I know you'll save us, Thunder. From what Lightning has told me of this Lord Ash, he seems to be a fine fellow. You did the right thing. And you will continue to do the right thing by facing Elliot in this war."

Mother's words made me feel emotional, and I couldn't help but hug her again. "Thank you, Mother. I will do everything in my power to save you, Haruka, and Lightning from Elliot," I vowed, pulling back. Haruka squeezed my leg tightly.

"We can't stay long, Thunder," Lightning said from a ways away.

"Come here, Lightning," Mother said, ushering him to come closer. A bit reluctantly, Lightning made his way to us. Mother wrapped the two of us in a hug that made memories of our childhood flash through my mind.

"My boys," Mother murmured.

"And me!" Haruka said, sounding excited.

"And of course, my little Haruka," she said, serenely. With the warmth of my mother's love, I knew I would be okay and that I could save them from Elliot's wrath. The only obstacle was time. "The only one we're missing is Iria…" Mother's words strayed off. "Though I'm sure she doesn't even remember us."

"Iria is doing well. She has taken on the responsibility of being a Guardian. She's well. We don't talk much about the past," I replied quietly. There was a long silence before Lightning broke it.

"We should leave," Lightning muttered. Haruka gave a small whine in the chilled night air, and we broke from the hug. I lifted Haruka in my arms and hugged her tightly one last time.

"It'll be okay, little sister. I promise," I vowed. She nuzzled my neck with her cold nose and sniffled.

"I don't want to go back," Haruka whispered. My heart wrenched. "Why can't we just go with Thunder and leave Elliot?"

"Baby, you know I want to, but Elliot has me in his strings to control," Mother said. My little sister heaved a small sob, making me want to hold her tighter. Instead, I handed Haruka to Mother, and glanced to Lightning.

"Thank you, Brother," I said. My words could never express how grateful I was.

"Sure," Lightning said flatly. Mother nudged him. He sighed before continuing. "You're welcome, Thunder." Before he turned to leave his gaze locked with mine for a few moments, and something in that gaze made me realize he did care. Then it was gone and they were leaving. The moments that followed were silent and long, leaving me cold and breathing white clouds of air from my mouth.

I left the surrounding area, with thoughts pulsing through my mind.

Yomi's Point of View

The morning hours were early, but I knew Negative would be awake. I made my way to his room, wearing some sweats and a sweatshirt. In the West Wing, I walked down the corridor, glancing at the doors and the names written on them to make sure I got the right door. I saw Thunder leaving Lilly's room, looking exhausted. I smiled and nodded to him. He gave a drowsy smile and nod back as we passed.

I found Negative's door to his room and knocked three quick times. At first there was no answer, but soon the door opened to reveal Negative looking like he had just woke up. I automatically felt bad.

"Did I wake you up?" I asked quickly, taking a step back and readying myself to scuffle down the hall.

"No, no, of course not," Negative said, quickly. "I've been awake for awhile, I just haven't gotten up and moving." Feeling relieved, I smiled.

"May I come in?" I asked. He smiled gently, and moved to the side.

"Of course you may." I stepped into his huge room, and my eyes popped open. Negative's room was huge, even bigger than the room Mizu, Yami, Kiyo, Yoru, Kairi, and I shared the six beds in. The color theme was red, green, and white. His bed was against the northern wall of his room. He had a huge flat screen television across the room from it. On the western-most wall of his room there was a miniature kitchen-like area. A coffee machine and miniature fridge sat on a black and white counter. Around the rest of the room, a laptop on a mahogany desk, and other technologies were spread.

"_This_…is your room?" I breathed. Negative smiled sheepishly. "Yea, I guess you've never really had the chance to get a good look at it."

"I like it," I said, sincerely before turning to him and facing the reason I came. "Negative, I'm really sorry for lying all this time…"

Negative's face softened to be even gentler. "Dear, you did what you thought was right. Kairi was desperate and came to you with her problem. It's alright." His voice made me melt with its understanding.

I ran to him, hugging him tightly. _Now_ everything would be okay…


	36. Death of Humanity

_**~Chapter Thirty-Five: Death of Humanity**_

Justuo's Point of View

My drowsy eyes snapped open at the sound on my phone going off. I picked it up, glanced at the caller (because I was so out of it I couldn't tell the song playing), and saw that Aki was calling. And it was three in the morning. God Dammit.

"What the fuck?" I answered. "How many times do I have to tell you, Aki, just because it's four in the afternoon over there in Japan, doesn't mean it's four over here? You do realize it is three in the morning in Virginia right now? And I was sleeping really well, too!" My complaints were cut short when Aki finally broke in.

"Kiyo and her friends have been pronounced dead in this world," Aki said. I heard the news in the back ground, speaking rapid Japanese about the five missing girls, and the one girl in their circle of friends who hadn't budged with any new information. I quickly flipped my television on, and turned it to the news channel.

_"After many months of following the story of the five missing girls, many have come to the same conclusion; the girls are dead. The most mysterious case that has baffled many of our finest has finally been concluded. Starting with Kiyo Rakugo's disappearance, followed by Eienyoru Tsukiyomi's strange behavior and withdrawal, Kairi Lin was the next to be reported missing after reportedly taking a walk in the woods behind her grandfather's home. Only days later, Kiyomi Aoyuuki was found missing as well. Months later, after Yami Aki and Mizu Aore suffered the loss of their closest friends and refused to talk to cameras about their losses, they, too, disappeared from Mizu's house. These six friends seem to be connected to each other, but still, Yoru refuses to be interrogated. Our last hope for solving this bizarre mystery of disappearance is to further question friends of these girls to see if any others have any leads to where these children could have gone…"_

The lady reporting the case continued but I tuned back into Aki's babble on the other line. "…seems like you're really going to be hammered with some questions considering you and Kiyo dated some way before she went missing. You were close to them, so you should be getting ready to face their questions. You better cover up really good. And make sure to tell the rest of Avalanche the story just in case. Can't have too many holes in the story," Aki said.

"Yea, I got it," I muttered. "I guess that means we have to tell them they're dead over here. Is Hana there?"

"Yea, we aren't doing much in school today. We'll be out of class in about an hour or so. We could meet you in the Paranormal World in a few hours," Aki offered.

"Sure, that sounds good. But I have a few things to take care of before I go," I said. Sayo flashed through my mind.

"Alright, but don't get yourself caught up in this world for too long. Kairi and Kiyo are going to want to know, and I sure as hell am not telling them by myself."

"Yea, okay. I won't be long. I just need to get to the school today for an hour or so, if that. I need to see Sayo," I said stifling a yawn.

Aki chuckled a bit before continuing. "Sorry I woke you so early, brother."

"Yea, yea, you're damn lucky it was for a good reason," I teased.

"Or what? Are you gonna try to kick my ass again?" I knew Aki was wearing a cocky smile that went along with his teasing tone.

"Any time and anywhere," I challenged.

"I'll have to take your word on it then," Aki challenged back.

"Would you give me that phone, Aki? God, you and Justuo are so stupid sometimes," I heard Hana saying in the background.

"Sure, sure, here you go," Aki muttered. "See you later, Justuo."

"Yea later, Aki," I said but before I could finish saying his name, Hana was talking into the phone.

"Hey, make sure you tell Kairi and Kiyo soon, okay? They'll tell the others," Hana said.

"I want to tell them myself," I said automatically. "It wouldn't be right to let Kairi and Kiyo explain it themselves."

"If you're going to the castle to make an announcement, you know we're coming, too," Hana said.

"And so is Avalanche!" Aki called from somewhere near Hana. I laughed and shook my head.

"Alright then," I said, yawning again. "Tell them all, and we'll go after I'm done at the school."

"Okay. Get your rest, sleepy head," Hana teased.

"Blah, blah, blah," I said.

"See you later, Justuo!" Aki called.

"Bye guys," I replied before hanging the cell phone up. My arm flopped back down onto the bed. I closed my eyes and relaxed back into the calming darkness of sleep.

After stopping by my homeroom classroom and telling Kimiko that I wouldn't be in class this morning for the morning show, I found myself walking towards the parking lot from the Tech buildings of the high school campus. I knew "Yoru" usually stood talking with her normal friends. Scanning the parking lot quickly, I saw her standing alone except for the stray student every so often stopping to say a greeting to her. When she saw me, her eyes became guarded; she knew who I was.

"Sayo," I greeted.

"Justuo," she replied in a monotone voice. "What brings you to me?"

"You've seen the news?" I asked, quietly.

"Of course. I think I may make a disappearance of my own. Though, that means Yoru could never come back to this world. It isn't my decision to make," Sayo replied just as quiet.

"Do you plan on living here forever then?"

"Of course not. I am waiting for Yoru to return. When she does, I can be on my way. My brother worries me. I haven't heard from Yoru about him and Kiyomi for awhile."

"Negative… is your brother, right?" I questioned, trying to connect the loose ends.

"Of course. Keep up," Sayo said, evenly. "I haven't heard from Yoru in quite a while actually."

"I'm going to the castle today where they're residing in the Paranormal World. You can join me if you'd like," I offered. Sayo shrugged, and glanced away as if she didn't care. Or maybe that was just her attitude. Damn, I didn't know. I had talked to her all of four times throughout this law shit with Kairi and Kiyo.

"I am leaving this world," Sayo finally declared. "Yoru has had time to decide if she was going to return, and she has not." I waited for more, not really sure of what to say to that. "I'll return on my own will, and finally finish this endless debate. The children are dead to this world."

"I understand," I commented after a while. She nodded precisely. "I have to meet some friends. Let me know what you plan to do so I can cover for you."

"Of course," Sayo replied evenly. I turned to leave, quickly making my way towards the top of the parking lot where I could sneak away and leave the school premises. After walking down the short cut to McDonald's, I went to my car, and left, driving straight for my house where I could be alone and will myself to the Paranormal World.

"Hey, Justuo!" Aki said, hitting my shoulder. "Fayt's been bugging the hell out of me. It's about time you got here."

"Blame my excitement," Fayt said shrugging. "I'm pumped for this!"

"Idiots," Hana murmured as Serein nodded in agreement.

"Don't try to start anything," I said ignoring their comments and acting serious. "Ash is really touchy about his castle. You saw that before."

"Yea, he freaked out because you showed up without his permission," Prompto said.

"By the way, Kairi put up a good fight against you," Serein commented.

"Until you punched her in the ovary," Aki said. "No eggs from _that_ ovary."

"I felt really bad for that," I replied after a moment of remembering the scene. Kairi was fragile even in other worlds. She would have to train harder to catch up.

"Can we please get going?" Hana asked, sounding annoyed. "We can sit here and listen to you boys talk non-stop, or we could go tell the children that their normal lives are dead for good. I'm sure Serein agrees that we should go, right, Serein?"

"Hana has a point, Justuo. Let's get going," Serein agreed.

"Yea, yea," Aki muttered. "Let's go."

"Look on the bright side; we aren't that far away from the castle," Prompto said.

"The only reason you're saying that is because you can't keep up very well," Fayt teased.

Their teasing and chattering continued as we left for the castle. Luckily, as Prompto had said, we weren't far from the castle. Within a half hour of walking, the town was in sight. The atmosphere in my group grew solemn, and I found myself sifting through the ways I could tell Kairi, Kiyo, and their friends that they could never return to the Human World. I could say it bluntly…

No. Definitely not. The image of Yami getting teary eyed flashed through my mind. No. Not bluntly. Maybe I could tell one of them and then that one could tell the others…but that was a bitch move. I'd just have to tell them all to their faces. Or I could have Ash do it…

No. I had to say it. I would say it. If Avalanche were the ones to find out about their "deaths" then we would be the ones to tell them. We were at the castle wall and drawbridge by now. The main entrance to the castle grounds that led to the Garden Courtyard lay ahead. "Ready, brother?" Aki asked.

"Of course," I said. With that, we walked into the Gardens, and towards the main entrance of the castle. Thankfully, the Guardians watching the entrance didn't see us as a threat when we came walking up to the castle. I'm guessing Ash had cleared his "keep Justuo away" orders. I'd had to sneak in to see Kiyo, Kairi, and their friends the past few times. Though, it was a lot easier the last time…Maybe my name really was cleared?

Shaking my head, and forcing myself to clear my mind for the task at hand; telling Kiyo that she could never return to her home world with her friends. My stomach lurched. Maybe it would be a bit harder than I thought. I scolded myself again, and forced myself (again) to think straight. I smelled for Kairi's scent as we entered the castle.

Finding it easily, I followed it while Avalanche followed my trail. I found myself walking down the familiar hall that housed all of Kairi's friends. Hopefully they were all together. I had spoken too soon. Kairi's magical resonance became apparent as I rounded the corner. I stopped just as Kairi bumped right into me. She gasped, and wobbled backwards a little before catching her balance, and realizing who she had ran into.

"Justuo?" she wondered aloud. Her eyes refocused on my friends behind me. "And friends?"

"Hey, kohai," I said simply. "We need to talk to you."

"What's up?" Kairi asked smiling that hopeful smile she always wore.

"I need you to gather Mpopyya, Kairi," I said, calmly. Kairi's smile slowly faded to worry.

"What's wrong?" she whispered, immediately returning to the childish-looking Kairi I remembered from the Human World. "Is someone hurt?"

"No, but we need to talk to Mpopyya. Can you gather them?" I asked. It felt right to call them Mpopyya again. It had been so long since I'd spoken that name.

"And a place to talk where we won't be listened in on," Aki added from behind me.

"Yes, and a place where we can talk in private," I repeated. Kairi nodded slowly, her brows furrowing in worry and confusion.

"Yea, sure. Can you tell me what's going on, though?" she asked. Naïve Kairi.

"I'll tell you all together," I said. Kairi groaned in frustration. I resisted the urge to chuckle at her. "You'll know in time, kohai. For now, gather your friends."

"Yea, yea," she muttered. "Follow me. We'll talk in Kiyo's room. It's got the most chairs and places for everyone to sit." Kairi led us down the hall and to the left. She opened Kiyo's door that had _Queen Kiyo Rinoa Everdusk_ printed on a golden plate. The name Everdusk still sounded foreign to me. She had always been Kiyo Rinobi Rakugo to me. Kairi opened the door and revealed Kiyo's _huge_ room. I mean, damn, her room was as big as my _house_. A bunch of chairs and couches sat around a lit fire place, almost like a miniature living room.

"How homely," Fayt muttered.

"Is it big enough?" Prompto asked as we entered the room farther.

"Don't complain. I like our rooms being big," Kairi said. "Don't go through Kiyo's belongings, Justuo." She gave me a long glance and I smiled sheepishly. Kairi smiled a strained smile, and left out the door.

"There's enough room for all of us to live in here," Aki said, plopping down on one of the couches.

"I know right. Everyone that lives in _His Majesty's_ castle has to have a room fit for twenty people," I said, sarcastically.

"I would like a bed this big at home…" Hana muttered, taking in Kiyo's bed that could probably fit five people easily. I rolled my eyes, and glanced around, taking in the love of my life's room, and where she would be living for the rest of her life.

Kairi's Point of View

I strode from the room and into the hall in search of a servant around the castle that could gather all of my friends up and get them to Kiyo's room. I was about to send Lancer when one of the servants that I was familiar with, Jack, passed me in the hall on the way to the Dining Hall. I turned quickly, and called out, "Hey, Jack!"

He quickly stopped, turned around, and scurried back to me. "Yes, Guardian Kairi?"

I offered him a soft smile before saying, "Can I ask you a favor, please?"

"Of course, my lady. Anything for Her Majesty's Guardian," Jack replied loyally.

"Can you gather Kiyo, Yomi, Yoru, Mizu, and Yami and bring them back to Kiyo's room, please?" I asked, quickly. I felt an edgy feeling gnawing at my stomach and knew that I should hurry. So I added, "Like, right now?"

"Yes, of course, Guardian Kairi," Jack said, bowing. "It'll only be a few minutes. I'll be on my way. If there's anything else you need, I will always be at your service."

"Thank you, Jack. I really appreciate that," I said, sincerely. Jack nodded, and turned on his heels immediately. He hurried down the hall, and I felt a twinge of guilt. Maybe I shouldn't have rushed him..? My stomach twisted painfully in response to the thought. No, I did what was right. I turned around, and walked back to Kiyo's room where I was greeted by Justuo and his posse.

"Back already?" Justuo asked, raising an eyebrow when I came back into the room. My eyes traveled to a boy with a blond ponytail who was sitting on the couch next to a boy with white hair and orange and purple streaks going through it. I could tell that the one with white, orange, and purple hair was Japanese. Glancing back to Justuo who was waiting for a reply, I simply nodded.

"Yea. I sent one Ashu-Niisama's servants to gather them all up and bring them here." As I said it, I felt numb. I had a sense of foreboding from this little get-together. Justuo nodded and put his arm around my shoulders, pulling me towards the sitting area where most of his friends were waiting and chatting. I took note that there were only two other girls in the room besides me. Justuo was so sexist!

"I should probably introduce you to Avalanche, kohai," Justuo said, stopping a short distance from the sitting area. "Especially considering they will be teaching you as well."

"What is Avalanche?" I asked, as everyone in the room turned their attention to me. "And why will it be teaching me?"

"What is Avalanche?" snickered one of his friends, the one with white, purple, and orange hair. Justuo laughed a real, whole-hearted laugh before answering my question.

"Avalanche is a group of rogues that fight for what they want, and for what they feel is right and wrong. Nobody rules us," Justuo said. Then his friend with the iridescently colored hair continued for him.

"And we do whatever the hell we want!" Justuo rolled his eyes before continuing.

"Anyways, these are the members of Avalanche. This loud mouth that can't keep quiet for five seconds is Akihiko."

"Call me Aki, for short. No need to be so formal, brother," the strange white, purple, and orange haired boy that was Aki said. I remembered hearing a lot about him, Hana, and their now deceased friend, Miki, when Kiyo and Justuo used to date back in the Human World before he royally messed everything up.

"Yea, yea, well if we're doing introductions, might as well introduce with full names. So, yes, this is Aki. The blond one with the pony tail beside him is Prompto." Prompto waved at me as Justuo continued. "The guy with blue hair that kinda looks purple in the light is Fayt. This boring looking Japanese girl is Hana." The girl with really dark brown hair and brown eyes that was obviously Asian threw Justuo an annoyed look before Justuo quickly added, "And the tall, slender blond girl with the dark eyes with purple flecks is Serein."

"Hi," I said awkwardly. I wasn't sure how to respond to the large group of friends he had introduced me to.

"Avalanche, this is Kairi Fatewin, my Human student, and practically my little sister," Justuo said. He grabbed me around my arms before I could respond and 'noogied' my head.

"Ow, hey stop that, you're messing up my hair!" I shouted in agitation as I struggled to get out of his in-Human grip. He chuckled, and released me. "_Baka_!" I growled at him in Japanese. It meant idiot.

"Any questions?" Justuo asked as if he hadn't just tousled my hair and frizzed it up. I grumbled under my breath as I walked over to Kiyo's bed side and picked up her brush to fix my pink cascade of hair. It had grown a very small amount since I had cut it to my shoulder blades.

"How about species? Is everyone here Human, or are they freakishly strong and quick like you?" I asked with nonchalance.

"Fayt and Aki are Feavii like me. Serein is an Elf, Prompto is Human, and Hana is a Human Hybrid. We aren't sure what exactly Hana is, but she isn't fully Human." I took his words in, nodding slowly as I put Kiyo's hair brush back on her bed side table. "And that's Avalanche for you."

I smiled politely at them, despite the anxiety gnawing at my stomach. What news could Avalanche have for our group, Mpopyya?

Kiyo's Point of View

"Concentrate, Kiyo," Ash murmured as I began to shake with strain of trying to control the air around us. I didn't have a wind teacher, and it was so frustrating trying to learn something without a teacher to teach it to you! I growled in frustration, and my concentration slipped, making me collapse against Ash's strong grip.

"Ash, can we _please_ work on something, _anything_, except for wind? I can't learn it without a teacher. I need an example," I muttered in defeat.

"Don't push yourself too far. Of course we can work on something else. We can work on water if you'd like?" Ash offered. I didn't say anything or move for awhile as I tried to catch my rapid breath and wipe the sweat from concentrating so hard off my face.

"I actually was expecting to learn something else…" I said, putting on my flirty smile and voice. Ash raised his eyebrows and returned the flirtatious glint in his dark blue eyes.

"If that's what you _really_ want to learn, I could teach you a few things." Ash's voice had become really hot. It was low and seductive; it made me shudder. I automatically moved closer, and was about to kiss him when a loud noise interrupted our small fantasy.

"My Lord, and My Lady," a familiar voice called from not far away. I gasped in surprise, and jumped a bit. Ash and I both looked towards the castle entrance where the male voice had come from. Jack, one of Ash's servants, was standing there, looking a bit nervous. My cheeks warmed as Ash blinked; kinda like he was trying to clear his mind.

"What's wrong?" Ash asked, as I took his hand and pulled back from him some.

"Nothing is wrong, but Guardian Kairi has asked me to tell Kiyo she needs her as soon as she is able," Jack said quickly. A wave of surprise pulsed through me as I looked at Ash for guidance of what to say to Jack.

"I see," he said, looking between Jack and me. "I guess that means it's serious. Kairi never sends anyone to find you. She comes and finds you herself." Ash's calculations made me wonder if anything was wrong. Was she too busy to come and get me? That didn't seem right. Shaking it off, I listened to Ash continue. "Go on then. Don't be too long, love. I'm supposed to be training you, remember?" His teasing tone made some of my worry fade and I smiled, feeling my lust from before return.

"I know. I'll be back soon enough. You can finish teaching me later." I added a wink in the end, and knew I had him under my spell. Smiling to myself, I followed Jack back through the Castle. He told me to go to my room before splitting ways and claiming that he had to gather our other friends as well. More than a little curious, I hurried to my room.

When I opened my door, I froze in surprise for several reasons; One, Justuo and Kairi were both sitting on my bed. Two, there were five other people that I didn't even know sitting in front of my fire place.

"Umm…? Kairi?" I questioned. She gave me a sheepish grin before Justuo's face lit up.

"Kiyo!" he called like a child had just opened a new present on Christmas morning. What the hell was going on?

Yoru's Point of View

My breath came rapid. I pounded as hard as I could against the punching bag. I had bandages wrapped around my knuckles to ease the impact as I rapidly punched, and kicked the large punching bag. Rufus and Archer watched from the sidelines as Rufus called out commands. After non-stop punching and kicking for thirty minutes, Rufus called me off. Feeling disgusting and sweaty, I walked up to Archer and Rufus.

"You did so well, Young Master!" Archer said, sounding really pleased. "You beat your record by two minutes!"

"That isn't good enough," I groaned, feeling down. I was disappointed in myself. I could do better than that!

"Yoru, you did well," Rufus assured me, as if he had read my insecurities. "Don't push yourself too hard, and don't beat yourself up." I didn't argue with him. There was no point in it because it would get me nowhere.

"Take a break and cool down. Walk laps around the gym to cool and grab a sip of water from the water fountain if you need it." Rufus' words registered after I had started doing what they had said. As I lapped the gym twice, the door to the hallway outside of the gym (or Inner Training grounds was its more formal name…) popped open. I glanced up just as Archer and Rufus did. A young servant boy that I'd seen around the castle often poked his head into the door and came in after his eyes landed on me. He walked up to me, bowed gallantly. I twitched a little as I thought of how to react to this when he began speaking.

"Lady Yoru, it seems that Guardian Kairi needs you to gather in Her Majesty's room as soon as it is possible for you. She made it obvious that it was very important." The servant finished before he said his goodbyes and left. I turned back to Rufus and Archer who both were looking about as surprised as I felt right now.

"Well, I guess that cuts my training short today," I said, feeling a bit relieved that I wouldn't have to do more. I was such a lazy person. Rufus nodded in agreement.

"I'll see you when we're due to train again, Yoru. You should probably see what's going on with Kairi. It seems to me that it must be very important." Rufus' words made my mind begin to wander. I nodded quickly, said goodbye, and left for Kiyo's room immediately. I _really_ wanted to shower, and get my nasty, sweaty training outfit off, but if it was so important that Kairi would send one of Ash's servants instead of coming to get me herself then it must be really serious. Maybe even life or death. With those thoughts pulsing through my head, I turned down our hall and made a B-line straight for Kiyo's room.

Yomi's Point of View

"Now, you must sit with your chin and neck at a perfect right angle, ninety degrees, not ninety-one, not eighty-nine, ninety even. If I see you with anything more or less, I will put a neck brace around neck that will _force_ a ninety degree angle…" Fonda's ridiculous babbling continued annoyingly as I stared out into space, wishing that I could seriously throw the cup of tea we were supposed to be learning how to sip _correctly_ right at her stupid annoying face. I was dressed in a dress that was huge and poofed out like a giant mushroom that covered my waist down. My hair was pinned back in a really tight bun, and I was being forced to wear make-up; not even the pretty kind that some young girls wore, but the stupid ancient stuff that fifty year old grandmas wore! I was in five inch heels, and had stupid lacy glove on my hands and arms.

I really was starting to hate Fonda's formality classes. She never quit going on and on and on about posture and behavior and perfection and how much better she was than me because I was a Half-Vampyre and she was a full! It ticked me off!

"Kiyomi, is there a problem?" Fonda asked sounding annoyed. Her stupid English accent snapped me out of my thoughts. I glanced up and put on a very sweet smile.

"Yes, Lady Fonda. There is a problem," I said as sweetly as I could manage.

"Would you like to share it with the class then?" Fonda snapped.

"Of course, Lady Fonda. The problem is your annoying pompous, bum-scooching, and racist attitude towards anyone and everyone that you think is not as amazingly stupid as you! And you're stupid annoying English accent is getting really annoying!" I started out sweetly but by the end I had ground my teeth together and finished with a forced sickly sweet smile.

"Excuse me?" Fonda said, sounding outraged.

"You heard me, ma'am," I replied sweetly. Just as she was about to burst into a huge rant, her door opened, and a young servant boy walked in, Jack. Jack and I had been friends ever since I had snuck out of the castle through a secret passageway. He had seen me leaving and promised he wouldn't tell anyone that I knew about it. Coming back to the present, I watched Jack curiously. When his eyes landed on me, I offered a smile.

Jack smiled tentatively before speaking to Fonda who was watching with critical eyes. "What do you want, boy?"

"I am here for Lady Kiyomi. It is best for her to be in the Queen's room." Before continuing, he turned his attention to me directly as I let the surprising information sink in. "Guardian Kairi said that it was very important for you to meet her and your other friends in Her Majesty's room." I nodded slowly and turned a smirk on Fonda.

"Looks like I'm excused from class. See you later, Lady Fonda." I stood, and walked past a stunned and speechless Fonda. I followed Jack into the hall and said, "Thank you so much." He smiled and replied.

"You're quite welcome. But I still have to get Lady Mizuki and Lady Yami."

"Well I'll see you around then, Jack. Bye!" I said, and I skipped off towards Kiyo's room.

Yami's Point of View

"Come on, Mizu, you're supposed to heal me!" I shouted as I tapped the buttons on the game console's remote. Rath snickered as his character in the video game killed mine before Mizu's character could get to me in time to heal me.

"Rath, that isn't fair! You know we aren't as good as you, damn it!" Mizu growled in anger. Rath laughed out loud as my character came back. Rath had invited us to play games with him in his room before training. Mizu and I, gladly, accepted the challenge and overestimated our abilities. Rath had made us on a team together against him _and_ had given us the ability to come back to life whenever we died, and we were _still _losing. He hadn't even died once.

"You have a curve! You can come back to life, and it's two against one. That's fair," Rath said, but I could tell he was fighting to keep a smug smile from forming on his lips. I ground my teeth, and had a flash back of when Kairi had let me borrow her _Kingdom Hearts_ game in the Human World. Homesickness washed through me. It had been a very long time…

"Yami, watch out! Rath is behind you!" Mizu shouted. I gasped, and my eyes focused back on the huge flat screen, high definition television Rath had in his room just in time to see Rath's game character pull out Chinese-looking sword. I screeched in surprise and slammed down on the attack button.

My character flipped into the air, pulling a katana out of thin air, and helm-splinted Rath's character. There was a long silence as Rath's character cursed and fell to his knees before admitting his defeat and dying. Mizu was the first to break the now growing awkward silence.

"Fuck yes! That's right, Rath, we won!" She jumped up from the huge (and very comfortable) couch and threw her finger at Rath as she laughed and continued yelling "Yes!" and "We won, bitches!" I shook my head, clearing the déjà vu from my mind and with it, all thoughts of home or homesickness.

"We just kicked your butt!" I said, victoriously.

"Yea, and how many times did I kick yours?" Rath asked, allowing a slim smirk to form on his mouth. He pointed behind an exuberant and jumping Mizu to the screen that showed the statistics of the battle match. "I do believe that says two hundred eighty-four kills to one."

"We still beat you! Just once! That's enough for bragging rights for two weeks!" Mizu shouted, sounding a bit annoyed that he always had to one-up us.

"Yea, yea, you one the battle, but I can grantee that I will win the war." Rath went back to the main menu of the game as Mizu situated herself back on the couch and picked her remote back up (from where she had thrown it to the carpeted floor in the heat of the moment.) Rath clicked "War Mode" and then clicked three players, putting us on the same team again.

"I bet I win for sure on this one," Rath said, about to press play. A quick tap on the door caught everyone's attention. "Come in!" Rath called, sounding a bit annoyed that someone was interrupting our game play.

The door opened, briefly blinding Mizu and I until it shut closed. "Lord Rath, I have been sent by Guardian Kairi to retrieve Lady Yami and Lady Mizuki. She said that they needed to meet her in Her Majesty's room." The male voice that had come from the door had us all looking back at a small servant boy. He seemed a bit winded and weary; making me wonder if he had ran here or if the news Kairi had was really bad.

Mizu and I exchanged glances before looking at Rath who seemed to have gone from "I'm-The-Game-Master!" to "Epic-Vampire-Guardian-Guy."

"Is everything okay, Jack?" Rath asked. All humor had left his voice and he was now all business.

"From what I heard, everything seems to be fine. Kairi just needs all of her close friends in Her Majesty's room for some kind of meeting, I suppose. I do not know much about the reasoning," the servant named Jack said.

"Go on, then. Be careful," Rath said to us after a very long, fidgety silence. We nodded silently, and left with Jack, who led us in the direction towards the East Wing. Anxiety crawled into my stomach as the possibilities ran through my mind.

Justuo's Point of View

The door opened one last time as the rest of Kairi's group of friends, Mpopyya, joined the awkward silence that had enveloped the room. Yami and Mizu (who were in skinny jeans and band tee-shirts) joined Kiyo (also dressed informally), Yoru (who was sweaty and in training pants and a shirt), and Yomi (don't even ask what she was wearing…) who were all still giving Kairi a questioning look (who was just as confused as they were), despite my presence and the fact that I had introduced them to all of my friends. Giving Yami and Mizu and quick introduction to Avalanche, I readied myself to tell them the one thing that would change their lives forever.

"I have some bad news," I began. Kairi's eyes widened, and she instantly moved closer to her friends; a Guardian instinct that they feel whenever they know something could potentially harm their protectants, emotionally or physically. When I didn't continue right away, it was Yoru who spoke up.

"Yes? What is it?" She didn't seem annoyed or loathing like she usually did when she spoke to me. She seemed like a normal, Human teenager that was purely curious about the news I had to bear. It made my stomach clench.

Deciding to get it over and done with, I said it quickly, and as nicely as I could manage in my mental strained state. "The Human World thinks you're dead." There was a very long silence as I held my breath. But no one in Mpopyya said anything. All of them except for Yoru and Kairi stared at me blankly. Finally, Mizu broke the silence with a simple sentence that made her seem young and naïve (in a good way, I suppose.)

"So? Of course they do. We've been gone for months, right? It's only logical that they think we're dead." Mizu's words seemed to force me to find my courage, and I found myself shaking my head slowly.

"No, that's not what I mean. I mean they have officially pronounced each of you dead. There's no going back now." My words were harsh, but I had made them soft, gentle, and what I hoped were soothing. Then the truth seemed to sink in, every one of them except for Yoru seemed to become very solemn. Some had tears welling in their eyes, one of them being Kiyo, though she seemed to be holding them back as best as she could. I almost walked up to her and hugged her, but decided against it.

Kairi's face flushed really badly like it always did when she cried, and I was worried she would be in hysterics, but Yoru put a hand on her shoulder as if to calm her raging emotions. Yami and Mizu seemed too stunned to say anything. Yomi's eyes watered, but her face refused to show emotion.

"We're dead," Kiyo breathed. Kairi put her hand on Kiyo's shoulder as Yoru had her; as if to give strength to both of them. Then Yoru turned to me, completely surprising me and my friends.

"Sayo can leave. A life in the Human World without my closest friends isn't a life I'm willing to live." It was like Yoru had known that I had spoken with Sayo. I didn't show my surprise, but nodded instead.

"I know you each have some thinking to do," I began, glancing at each of them before turning to Avalanche and continuing, "So we will leave you by yourselves. I'll see what we can do about getting you out of training for the day."

Kairi's cheeks flushed even more and a single tear streaked down her face. Her tear was the first of many for that night.

12


	37. A Vast Skye

_**~Chapter Thirty-Six: A Vast Skye~**_

Ash's Point of View

The dark of night around me was a good omen. I needed to be quiet and still. Sadly, just because it was a dark clear night in the Paranormal World didn't mean it was a clear dark night in the Human World, my destination. Skylar had contacted me a few days ago, telling me that Kiyo and her friends had been pronounced dead in the Human World. Later that day, that trouble-maker, Justuo came by and broke the news to Kiyo and her friends. Ever since then, they'd been very solemn instead of their usual light-hearted, joking selves.

My dear Kiyo had been the most shaken up. She had cried all night, finally realizing that she could never be with her family again. Her younger sister and brother had been her main heart ache, besides her parents. She sobbed in my arms for quite some time, crying about how she hadn't treated them right, and everything they did was for her own good. I could only hold her and whisper comforting words to her, hoping that she would find peace within herself.

I came back to the present when I realized I had reached my destination. I was far enough from the castle for no one to notice my magical resonance suddenly disappearing. I pulled the hood of my black cloak up and created a portal to the Human World. I stepped inside, and felt my being, my very essence being thrown through the rifts of reality.

When I landed in the Human World, the first thing I noticed was the lack of magic and magical resonance. The next was the stronger gravity that was accompanied by this world. Then I realized it was cold, dark, and pouring down the rain, almost like a typhoon. I only felt a flicker of a magical resonance as I glanced around the country side and saw the dark house looming in the distance.

The house had been abandoned for a long time, but for the past several years, ever since Kairi and her friends had gotten mixed up in the fate of the Other Worlds, it had stayed occupied. I smiled grimly as I started towards the darkened house. Only one window flickered in the dark, dreary house; the very top right one. I trudged through the cold rain that didn't bother me much. I closed the distance between the house and myself within a few minutes, and was stepping into the door when I felt his magical resonance wash over me. A grin came over my face.

I heard his breathing before I heard his soft and unsure whisper, "My Lord?" I walked up the creaking staircase, and through the dusty hallways, following his scent into the only room that held warmth and life.

"Hello, Skylar," I whispered as a smile came across my face. He was standing, seeming unsure of himself until I had came into his line of sight in the dark doorway. A small, but warming fire was lit in the old fire place near where he was standing. His red tips came to life as the warm glow of the fire flickered in the room. With my Vampiric sight, I could see the rest of his black hair that framed his face.

"Lord Ash," he said, smiling, and fisting his hand over his heart. His blue eyes sparkled with the happiness that came with seeing me. "It's been all too long."

"It has," I agreed. I stepped into the warm living area he had occupied. A small bed was where he had been sleeping. A few blankets were on the floor near him. I could tell he had just been nestled in them; Skye had never liked the rain, or any form of water for that. He was wearing only socks and a pair of sweat pants; everything else was bare.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, knowing my worry for one of my closest friends and warriors was apparent on my face.

"I've been fine," he said a little too quickly. I gave him a stern look. He returned my look with a sheepish smile.

"Well it's time for you to return home. Kairi and Mizuki have waited long enough, don't you think?" My hinting at his precious little sister and beloved soul mate had him fidgeting in anticipation.

"Do you think Mizuki would actually consider being with me in this life?" Skye asked, sounding anxious and way too nervous for his own good.

"Skye, you of all people know how strong the bond between soul mates can be. Of course she will be with you. She's currently dating Tai though…there could be conflict in the future between the three of you," I stated truthfully. I saw hurt and jealousy pass over his face before he schooled his features, leaving his face blank.

"It's to be expected," he said blandly. "Kairi and Kiyo are the only ones who know I actually exist, right?" My stomach twisted. I had told Kiyo, and told her to tell Kairi, but I wasn't so sure she had told Kairi…

"I do believe Kiyo knows that you are Kairi's brother. But she may have failed to tell Kairi about it." I immediately saw the change come over him. Anger flared in his eyes, and they turned the bright red of his tipped hair and the fire that blazed in the fireplace. The same fire that blazed brightly in the fireplace seemed to lick at his finger tips as his anger began to consume him.

"Skye," I said, calmly. His eyes flashed to me, and I saw his fangs were clenched. I felt his anger creep through the air and began to slip into me. I quickly cleared myself of all emotion, and let authority flow through my words. "Skye, that's enough. Don't let your anger consume you."

Skye seemed to slump, and the small flames on his hands died quickly. The anger emitting from him faded from the air. I shuddered as my own emotions returned. Skye had been a Greet before he became a Vampire. Greets had the ability to control and eliminate, or "perish" emotions around them. Their own emotions affected others, but were also affected _by _others.

With a long deep breath that snapped me out of my mental reverie, Skye said, "I'm sorry, My Lord."

"It's no problem. You and your sister are both easy to upset," I replied, smiling wryly. "Though Kairi is the kind to, instead of getting pissed off, get teary-eyed." Skye nodded slowly before walking to his make-shift bed and pulling a long sleeved shirt on, and then a large sweat shirt. He slipped a pair of well worn converse on before turning to me.

"Should I extinguish the fire?" Skye asked, looking up at me. I nodded and in a swift movement of his hand, Skye had extinguished the fire into warm embers, leaving us both in the dark. My eyes adjusted to the dark of the room before we turned to leave the soon to be empty house. Skye flinched when we stepped into the cold and harsh rain.

"I'm sorry, Skye," I said, sincerely. He smiled wryly before we darted across the open field and towards a wooded area near the house where we could leave the typhoon that was raging around us. The Human World would soon be a distant memory to everyone, including my own inner circle. At least for now.

Kairi's Point of View

"Come on, Kairi! You've almost got it," Justuo called to me. My concentration slipped, sending the blue fire I had just been in control of raining down on me. I gasped as the painfully hot embers and flames crashed onto me. "Kairi!" Justuo shouted in agitation and maybe a hint of worry. Kiyo's voice echoed his, though her voice was delayed several seconds. She must've been zoning out.

I found myself on the ground, swatting fire away from me in a dumb stupor. "Kairi, damn it, are you okay?" Justuo's voice pulled my attention to him as he made the fire disperse from my now singed outfit and burnt skin. He kneeled beside me, grabbing my left wrist. I winced as he turned over my left arm to examine the burns. "You'll be fine; nothing too bad. Concentrate, okay? Get your head out of the clouds." Kiyo stayed silent.

I nodded quickly, and whispered, "_Gomenasai,_ sensei." "Gomenasai" means "I'm sorry" in Japanese. I glanced up at the darkening sky, realizing it would probably rain today. As if my thoughts had triggered something, a streak of lightning flashed across the sky. Before the thunder could roll, I stood, and began to concentrate on my inner strength. Slowly, I allowed fire to grow around my fingers, heating it as hot as I could, and letting it spread across my hands. The thunder boomed, vibrating the soles of my shoes. I began to shake in concentration. The touch of fire didn't burn when I willed it not to. Distraction could have easily made me slip up and burn myself again.

With my full concentration on the now blue fire I was beginning to force in the air, I didn't even notice Ash and another guy coming closer towards our little training session. Until Ash cleared his throat softly and I jumped, I didn't even know they were there. And with that small distraction, I lost control of the fire. "Kairi!" Kiyo shouted again. Before she could get any more worried, I thought quickly. The fire turned from blue to red and almost crashed down on me again. I dissipated it just in time for the heat to warm my face. Thunder boomed loudly after more lightning streaked the sky again.

Justuo made an annoyed sound before turning to look in the direction of my approaching King and the semi-familiar looking boy with him. The boy's eyes were glued to me like he had just seen a train wreck. His blue eyes seemed all too familiar. I couldn't place where I had seen them before. I shifted uncomfortably as Ash spoke to Justuo, Kiyo, and me.

"My love, this is Skylar Fateless," Ash said, addressing Kiyo first. I glanced back at Kiyo and felt her surprise as soon as I saw her face shift into a shocked look. Kiyo glanced at me with wide eyes for a few seconds before looking back at the teenage-looking guy named Skylar. I looked back at him and was surprised that he was giving Kiyo a bitter look. This made Justuo shift towards her a little.

"Oh…" Kiyo's voice quivered a little, making me worry for her safety. "That's Skye?"

"Yes, this is Skye," Ash replied, smoothly. Then he turned to me. "Kairi, this is your brother." As if ice cold water had been poured into my blood stream, I felt frozen by surprise. Before I could even _try_ to comprehend the words that Ashu-Niisama had said, or even comprehend the reaction from Justuo and Kiyo, I saw Skye's eyes turning red, and fire beginning flare at his hands. Lightning flashed, blinding my sight for several moments.

"What the f-," but I was cut off before the rest of the vulgar could escape my mouth as everything came back into focus. Justuo grabbed my shoulder, and pushed me behind him. I stumbled in surprise, almost knocking Kiyo over in my numb surprise.

"You didn't tell her I was her brother, Kiyo?" I heard Skylar hissed in anger. I spun around to see Justuo also summoning fire to his aid. I looked to Kiyo.

"He's my…you knew my…?" I couldn't make my words sensible. I tried to shake myself and wake up from this stupid dumbfounded stupor. After forcing the fact that I had a brother that was fighting my teacher out of my head, I turned my attention back to the hell that was breaking loose in front of me and Kiyo as well as Ashu-Niisama.

"Watch it!" Justuo shouted at Skylar. He had taken on a defensive stance about ten feet away from Kiyo, meaning about seven from me. Skylar was growling, and I could tell from here that he was a Vampire. Skylar dashed forward, fire growing quickly. Justuo sent a strong detonation flying towards Skylar. I gasped in shocking worry. I was worried about the boy I had never met? Why?

"Oh my god…" I breathed, stepping away from the fight and pushing Kiyo with me. In sync, we gasped as they began landing blows on each other. Thunder and lightning played on our senses as the fight became violent.

"Skye, pull it the fuck together!" Justuo shouted, as if they were familiar with each other. Skylar's gaze flicked to me, and I saw a flash of the familiar blue form in his eyes. In the instant that he eased up, Justuo threw a rough punch to his face, sending him backwards, but still standing. Recovering quickly, Skylar dashed forward with Vampiric speed. Justuo was only surprised for a split second. He quickly moved, only to have Skylar follow with him. Skylar kicked him with enough force to break a wall, sending him flying backwards, and breaking one of the statues into large chunks that hit the ground.

"Stop!" I screamed before I could stop myself; thunder roared after my scream almost like it was a magnification of my outburst. As if my voice had shattered everyone's intense concentration, Skylar froze in the middle of darting forward and Justuo glanced up at my outbreak.

"Enough is enough," Ash snapped, glaring each of the boys down before turning his gaze to Kiyo and me. My protective stance relaxed only slightly as Skylar's eyes scanned me and my stance over Kiyo. His face looked pink from the punch Justuo had landed on his cheek. I found myself worried about his well being.

"What's your problem?" Justuo said, sounding angry with Skylar.

"That stuck up Queen failed to tell my only little sister about her older brother," Skylar snapped, as his eyes flew back to Justuo-sensei.

"What were you going to do, kill your Queen?" Justuo challenged. Skylar stayed quiet, but I could tell he was boiling just under the surface.

"Enough!" Ash said, power radiating from his voice. Everyone fell completely silent. "Enough," he said simply. "We are all at fault. Kairi, this is your brother, Skye. Skye, you know your sister. Justuo, you also know Skye. And Kiyo as well."

"Why am I the only one finding out that I have a fucking brother?" I said, feeling annoying anger pulse through me. Kiyo and Justuo knew I had a brother, but not me? Bull shit.

"I didn't know you were related to Skye," Justuo said quickly, keeping his guarded gaze on Skye. "I knew him from when I worked under Elliot."

"What?" I said even more confusion and anger clouding my mind. "What the hell is going on?" The wind had picked up a little, blowing the strands of my now short hair in the wind. The smell of rain was heavy in the air.

"I'm sorry, Kairi!" Kiyo said, quickly cutting in before anything else could confuse the hell out of me. "I knew you had a brother around the time Yoru had lost her memories. I was supposed to tell you, but you were going through way too much, and I didn't want to make you go through any more hell than you already were going through. Ash only said that he would be staying in the Human World and protecting us until we could make it to the Paranormal World. Then he would be coming back."

Before I spoke, Skye cut in. "You are cruel. I watched you for four whole years, protecting and making sure nothing would happen to you, my little sister, or your friends. She's my only living relative left," Skye hissed. I could see the pain and protectiveness on his face. I felt myself blush, and quickly tried to clear my mind so I could intervene.

"It isn't my fault!" Kiyo snapped, sounding angry. She always went on defensive when her feelings were hurt. "She knows now, isn't that what matters?"

"Guys, come on, stop!" I said, stepping forward. Skye immediately backed off. Justuo glared at him quickly before stepping back to Kiyo's side.

"It isn't Kiyo's fault. You can't blame her," Justuo said icily.

"Stop instigating," I whispered to my sensei. Ash stepped in, thank goodness.

"That's quite enough, Skye, Justuo. Kiyo hasn't done anything wrong. She was merely trying to protect Kairi's mental health. I should've told Kairi myself. Justuo, this isn't your business, but I must thank you for stepping up to protect Kiyo. Disperse. Justuo, try teaching Kiyo how to use fire." I could hear the bitter resentment in his voice that came with those words. "Kairi, come with your brother and me. We have some explaining to do."

Justuo, seeming a bit too cocky for my liking, much less Ash's, put a "protective" arm around Kiyo's shoulders, and pulled her away with him. "Will do," Justuo called before they disappeared farther into the Training Grounds. With an annoyed, exasperated noise from Ashu-Niisama, we turned towards the castle entrance near us and left the Training Grounds.

I found myself in one of the rooms in the West Wing of the castle, Skye's room. Though it hadn't been used for a very long time, it was neat, tidy, and not even the slightest bit dusty. And everything was red. For the name "Skye" he sure did like the color red…

Ashu-Niisama spoke, snapping me out of my thoughts. We were all sitting on some comfy chairs near his fire place that could only be made of rubies. I will admit that I was jealous of his epic room…

"Kairi, I know you have questions, but before we let you go crazy with them, let me explain everything to you. Skye isn't you're full blooded brother. Obviously. He was you're brother in a past life. He's a Vampire, but of course you know that from today's little incident." Ash paused to glance at Skye who looked down guiltily. "He was turned many years ago, in the life you were brother and sister in. Because he hasn't died and reincarnated, he is still tied to your soul, just as I am to Kiyo, or Trace is to Kiyo." I noticed the same bitterness that entered his voice when he spoke of Justuo and Kiyo reenter his voice at the mention of Trace. "The point is Skye is one of my most loyal subjects. He offered to protect you and your close friends as well as my precious Kiyo when you, Yoru, and Kiyo first were introduced to danger involving the Other Worlds. He stayed in the Human World, staying away from all civilization and feeding off animals instead of his natural diet."

"Which is very hard," Skye added, visibly shaken by just thinking about it. A rush of sympathy made me want to soothe him, but Ash continued before I could do anything else.

"He watched everything unfold, and protected you as best as he could. In doing this, he practically banished himself from the Paranormal World and Sanctuary, and most magic. It was quite a difficult task getting him back to the Other Worlds and keeping him conscious. After a long, deep sleep, though, he was well rested, and capable of being here," Ash said, thoughtful. I imagined he was reliving the experience in his mind.

"Kairi, you are the only living relative I have," Skye murmured. "And I know it seems like I've come out of nowhere, and decided to act brotherly and kind towards you, but I swear that isn't the case. It feels like I already know you from watching you and you're friends so much. And I am so very sorry that you couldn't know of me any sooner." There was a deep, dark resentment in his voice that had slowly crept into his tone.

"It's fine, really," I said, modestly. "You shouldn't be so sorry." My words must have made him feel better because he smiled then, and seemed to relax.

"I should warn you, Kairi. Your brother has a terrible temper," Ash added, which settled the static in the atmosphere of the room.

"I can tell," I laughed. "I also noticed you can control fire, like me. Does that run in the family?" My question had him chuckling, and before I could defend myself, he was talking.

"Yes, I guess you could say it runs in the family," Skye replied. I nodded slowly. His expression sobered, and he stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Seriously, Kairi, if you ever need anything, I'm here for you. I'm sorry I couldn't be here for you sooner."

"It's okay!" I said, automatically. I smiled brightly, and gave him a reassuring look. "It really is! Because now you _are_ here, and you _were_ here the entire time we were living in the Human World." Skye smiled a bit, nodding as if he felt the hope radiating from me.

"If you're okay, and you're happy and safe, then I'm fine as well." Ash clapped his hands once, and seemed at ease.

"It's great to have you back, Skye. Once you get back in the swing of things, you can resume your normal castle duties," Ash said.

"Sounds great, my Lord," Skye replied, fisting his hand of his heart and bowing slightly. He then turned to me and said, "In due time, I'll tell you about my long past. But for now, I would really like to rest up. I'm still exhausted from the transition." Skye's weariness was obvious on his face, and I nodded, completely agreeing.

"Anyone would be," I said, remembering the first day of bloodshed and exhaustion in the Sanctuary. "Sleep well, brother." The words felt right coming from my mouth, and I smiled afterwards.

"Rest peaceful," Ash said, while the both of us turned to leave Skye's room, and my newly found brother.

Yami's Point of View

"It's going to rain!" Mizu shouted excitedly as she jumped up and down. Justuo and Kiyo stood in the Training Courtyard as he spoke of the basics of fire, and how it was learned and controlled or whatever. Boring. Mizu spun in a happy circle before stumbling a little bit.

"Calm down, Mizu," I said, placing a hand on her shoulder, and jokingly making my face look concerned. She laughed uncontrollably for a second as the dizziness wore off. "You're going to hurt yourself," I added, smiling.

"I know, I know," Mizu laughed. "I'm going to find Tai! He and I can play in the rain!"

"You're leaving me with them?" I muttered. She had already started walking by the time I had finished saying the sentence. She shot me an apologetic look before running off towards the castle entrance. I sighed a long breath of air before looking around and deciding that walking would be better than standing here watching them train. Maybe I would find Rath or something.

Walking towards the gate that led to the Gardens, I felt the wind pick up a bit. It felt nice, almost normal, like the Human World. The thought made me sick. It was unseasonably warm for the end of Winter and the humid breeze blowing through the Gardens gave me a sense of Summer in the Human World, at Kairi's grandpa's house.

With summer memories came the thoughts of the lake, and Kairi, Kiyo, and me taking the Jet Ski out by ourselves. I soon found myself with tears running down my cheeks. I vigorously wiped them away, hating sadness and crying in general. It wasn't like me to think about the negative stuff. A sick feeling of homesickness had brought this on. I hated homesickness.

I came upon the unguarded East Gate. Without pause, I went outside, and walked to the outskirts of the town and towards the forest-like area at the north-eastern part of the wall surrounding the castle and its grounds. I felt the first drop of rain hit my cheek as more thunder and lightning decorated the sky and paraded through the area.

A small hill was ahead, and I decided that once I got there, I would turn around and head back before Mizu got too worried. We were always together. Always have been and always will be. Coming upon the small hill-like mound, I paused as a flash of lightning much bright than before blinded me for several seconds. I blinked rapidly to regain my vision only to be completely shocked into a frozen position when I saw a dark figure now standing on the hill.

I started to back away, but froze again when a female voice spoke. "Yami, you've grown up." I cocked my head to the side, unsure whether I should trust the voice of not. "No worries, I'm sorry I startled you, dear."

"Ugh…?" was all I could manage. The female figure stepped closer, allowing me to see her face, and features. She had long, bright red-orange hair that was the color of the rising and setting sun. She had yellow streaks running through it that shouted _Zap! _

Her eyes were sky blue, and she looked young, and really pretty. "Yami, it's been too long. I haven't seen you since you were young."

"Who are you?" I blurted. She laughed a soft chuckle before continuing.

"I'm your cousin. Of course you wouldn't remember; I disappeared a long time ago, maybe when you were two?" The girl seemed to contemplate for a second before looking back at me. "But anyway, what matters is that I am here to tell you that you, my dear, can use the element lightning. And what better time to tell you this than during a thunder and lightning storm?"

"I can control lightning?" I asked, feeling a bit pleased with the fact. "And you're name is?"

"Liri Reignstriker," she said simply. "Now, I can't stay, I have stuff to do, but concentrate on the lightning above you. Watch when it streaks through the sky. And you'll feel your connection to it. I hope you can find use of your talent, Yami. But I can't stay long. So, bye! I hope I see you in the future," Liri said, hugging me. With her touch, can a shock of electricity that shook me up a little.

"Uh, thanks?" I asked. She laughed as she pulled back, and said her quick bye. With a flash, she was gone, and I was alone as the rain began to fall harder. "Lightning…?" I glanced up at the sky and watched the rain falling from the dark clouds. It was also beginning to get dark. I watched the sky for awhile, waiting for lightning to flash. I reached up, and almost immediately lightning responded. I gasped in surprise as it jolted down to my finger tips and shocked through me like I was a conductor.

I shouted in exhilaration. The lightning cut off leaving me energized, and completely alert. I felt tingly and wiry as the last of the electricity flowed through me and settled. "Holy shit, that was amazing!"

I turned on my heels and darted back towards the West Gate, Gardens, and Training Courtyard.

Mizu's Point of View

I ran inside and darted for the Western Wing of castle. Tai should've been around there. He would play in the rain with me, unlike Yami. She was so unenthusiastic about the rain! I became winded when I finally reached the corridor that held the room I was looking for. I walked down the hall, and towards the end, glancing at each name on each door. I froze when I saw one particular name, one that hadn't been there the last time I'd been in this hall. The door had been blank.

_Skylar Eden Fateless._ The name struck me, reverberating through my mind and what felt like my soul. "Skylar?" I whispered the name. In some strange way, it sounded familiar to me. And it made me feel warm when I said it. Completely forgetting Tai, and on nothing but pure instinct, I stepped closer to the door, and grabbed the handle. I turned it slowly, and pushed the door open slightly, hoping that I wouldn't get screamed at or slammed out of the room completely.

When the coast was clear, I pushed it open a little more, and actually peeked into the room. I saw a few clothes strewn in the floor. I had the largest impulse to go and pick them up. I was so OCD! I resisted the impulse, too curious of the room's owner. I pushed the door open more, feeling a bit jittery all of the sudden. I peeked farther into the room to see a large bed with red sheets and a comforter messed up.

Right in the middle of the nest of sheets laid a boy no older that nineteen. And the sight of him sent my knees weak, and my heart thundering as loud as the thunder outside. He had tousled black and red hair that lay in a mess atop his head. His face seemed perfect enough to be an angel's. He was laying in his bed, bare-chested with only sweats on. His chest rose and fell softly in beat with his breath.

I couldn't resist the urge to do what I did next. I opened the door completely, and walked right into his room. I walked to the side of his bed, and extended my right hand out slowly. Before I could stop myself, I had touched his cheek, and his eyes had opened slowly. For a second, I was too surprised to move. But finally, sense came rushing back to me, and I quickly jerked my hand back.

"Uh…I am so sorry," I muttered completely embarrassed with myself. "I don't exactly know why I came in here, and touched your face. It was weird, and I'm sorry, and I should probably be going, and now I feel completely stupid, and I am so sorry!" I stuttered without breathing a single breath. The boy gave a sleepy smile that seemed to make his amazingly blue eyes light up.

"Then that means you must be Mizuki," he said, sounding exhausted. I immediately felt guilty for waking him; he obviously needed his sleep. I also felt surprised that this perfect creature knew my name.

"Yea…that's me, but how do you know me?" I whispered. I had whispered my sentence feeling that I needed to be quiet considering he had just woke up and probably wanted to go back to sleep.

"Maybe a lucky guess," he said, smiling a slightly cocky grin. It sent shivers though my body. There was something about this boy that made me want to curl up against his bare chest and sleep with him. Strange, right?

"So you're name is Skylar?" I blurted, before blushing and mentally screaming at myself for being so stupid and obnoxious.

"Please, Mizuki, call me, Skye," he said, genuinely.

"And call me Mizu," I replied automatically, not at all liking the formal tone he had towards me.

"Very well then," Skye smiled. "But, dear, I am very tired. Do you think we could talk tomorrow? Or later today when I'm awake?"

"Of course," I said, immediately stepping back. "Bye, Skye."

"Farewell," Skye breathed, practically already asleep. With that, I slowly backed away out of his room, and into the hallway, feeling lost and speechless at what had just now happened to me. Who was Skylar Eden Fateless?

Kiyo's Point of View

"Like this?" I asked, sending the fire in a straight line ahead of me. It sloppily quivered, and died after it got about six feet away from me. Justuo hid a chuckle with a cough. I turned and glared at him, a bit annoyed as thunder roared. We would have to go inside soon because of the incoming rainstorm.

"That was close!" he said, seeming to be honest. "But here, hold your hands like this," Justuo said, stepping around me so his stomach was touching my back. He took my hands in his, and moved them apart. "And keep your feet firmly planted on the ground. Don't show weakness to yourself. And let your magic flow. You shouldn't ever hold back in fear of over-kill, or sending too much magic into the blow." As he explained this, I felt very conscious that he was against me, and he was still holding my hands firmly.

"Okay, I think I got it." With those words, I slowly let my magic flow through me easier. The magic tickled my soul, and made me smile. Bits and pieces of my hair and clothing flowed in a now small but apparent breeze that circle me. I closed my eyes in bliss, and let all things wonderful and magical flow through me. The feeling is indescribable, and so wonderful that I wouldn't doubt that even Elliot loved the feeling; that is saying something considering he is so heartless!

With a blast of heat, and flame, a jet of fire erupted from the center of my palms. I gasped in surprise and watched it hit (and scorch) the wall twenty feet away that wrapped around the Training Grounds. My eyes widened, and I quickly turned to face Justuo.

"Did I do that?" I asked, excitement flooding through me. Justuo was grinning from ear to ear, and he had released one of my hands so I could turn around and see him.

"Yea, you did, babe!" he said, sounding just as excited as I had. "You learned so quickly, I'm surprised you could let a burst of energy that big out!"

"Yay!" I squealed, jumping up and down. A little sense of light-headedness sent me falling forward into Justuo's arms as dark spots danced in my vision. "Oh shit," I murmured in disorientation.

"Too much magic," Justuo stated. "You should lay off the magic for today, Kiyo." I blinked the dark spots away. Justuo was closer than before. I scrutinized him for a moment, wondering what the heck he was doing. "You're still really beautiful, Kiyo," he breathed. "Even though you look a little different than the last time I saw you in the Human World." He seemed a bit surprised by his own words. My mind raced, and my heart beat galloped.

"Really?" was all I could manage to return with. He smiled a hopeful smile, and I realized he was still holding me, despite the fact that my dizzy spell was over, and I could hold my own weight. Before I knew it, he was moving closer. My mind went into shock-mode (which is a translation of I sat there like I was stupid, not really sure what to do.) For a few moments, I didn't even respond, but I realized he was still moving closer. A deep, dark part of me wanted that kiss. That deep, dark part of me was also fairly sized.

But I was with Ash, and I could _not_ do this to him. Not after everything he had done for me. I pulled away from Justuo's approaching lips that were familiar strangers to my own. With time, I had forgotten little things about him, and his lips had been one of them. Justuo clenched his teeth, and pulled back as well. His brown eyes flashed with hurt, and I automatically felt bad. It faded away just as fast as it had flashed; but it had been there and I had seen it.

I cleared my throat, and instead of pulling all the way away from him, I hugged him. His arms wrapped around me tighter, and squeezed me to him. "I'm sorry," Justuo said automatically. I began to shake my head, and pull back from him to protest, but he only held me tighter. "Shh, babe, no. I'm sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

"It's okay," I mumbled into his chest. What the fuck was wrong with me? I seriously was starting to hate myself for all this bullshit heart-confusion stuff.


	38. Love Dies That Easy?

_**~Chapter Thirty-Seven: Love Dies That Easy?**_

Kairi's Point of View

_March 25, 2011, Friday, Early in the Morning_

_Paranormal World, Ash's castle; my room_

_Dear Diary,_

_March seemed to fly. Skye and I have become close, and yet, I still know nothing of his past. Should I be concerned? Nah, I'm sure he'll tell me if I asked. Justuo has been coming a lot this month. He's been helping us train, and helping me with fire. Yomi doesn't like his help though. No surprise, right? Skye has been assigned with helping Kiyo learn fire as well as Justuo. Sometimes Justuo brings one of his friends from Avalanche. I actually started talking with them, and they're really cool. But sometimes Aki and Fayt pick on me and call me Hume. They're jerks! Serein is really sweet, though. She uses wind magic, and I almost asked Ash to let her help with teaching Kiyo the elements. But I decided against it. Ashu-Niisama has been stressed lately. He's afraid that Elliot is planning something due to the long peaceful silence. Speaking of Elliot, I've seen a lot of my Lightning lately. He's come every day all week. He says the wedding still hasn't happened, which surprises me a lot. If Elliot was pushing for it so bad, why would he postpone? I asked Lightning, but he always avoids the question. What if Elliot did something bad to him! Grr, I would be so mad! And Lancer! Gosh, I have gossip about him. Yesterday, he didn't even speak to me. It's so weird! We never go a day without speaking. We've gotten a lot closer lately too. Not in a love way! Ever since the ball, and the day Lightning told me he saw us kiss, I haven't let Lancer do anything too flirtatious. But what's strange is he isn't even fazed by that anymore. I wonder why…Anyway, the weather is getting warmer. Springtime is on the way, and the snow that we've been getting hasn't been very deep or stayed very long. You know what's strange? I've been thinking about Misula a lot. And Grace-Lilly's new Guardian, Iria Azarath. For some reason, she seems to be really familiar. I can't put my finger on it. Yesterday, Lea, Justuo, Kiyo, and I baked cookies with Clover. Lea loves sweets. And Kiyo loves them almost as much as Lea! Justuo seems to have a soft spot for children; he really likes Lea a lot. She's too cute for anyone to resist! Justuo said he was going to bring one of his friends from Feywood to the castle one day for Lea to play with. Apparently his name is Dameon and he's twelve years old. He says Dameon is like a miniature version of him. Can you imagine? A smaller version of Justuo running around here, throwing fire balls and screaming like it's a roller coaster ride; how adorable! The break of dawn is coming. The sun is beginning to peak over the horizon. I should probably start getting ready for training today. Bye-Bye, now!_

_P.S. Each of our rooms is getting a makeover, and I'm excited! We're getting a bunch of technology updates! I'll make sure to let you know all the upgrades. _

_Shugo Kairi Fatewin_

I closed my newest diary that read _Courage_, and stretched out farther in an attempt to wake myself up more. I flicked my fingers towards a candle on my nightstand and watched fire come to life on the already used wick. I yawned, and flicked my wrist, sending a bit more force and concentration towards the fire place to begin to heat the room for the day, annoyed that it was always dead by morning leaving a slight chill over my room.

I sat up, looked around the room, and noticed Lancer in front of the now burning fire. He was sleeping on the couch, which was strange. My servant usually slept on the other side of my bed.

I sat up farther, and slipped out from under the covers. I stood and put my slippers on. I walked to the door and peeked out. I heard Yomi and Yoru chatting from her room. Those two were early birds. I know Kiyo would probably need help getting up too, especially considering she hadn't been sleeping with Ash lately. He usually got her up on time.

This was also our last day of training for the week. This weekend was our last weekend we had before we got to go to the Sanctuary for a visit. Ash had agreed to let us go to the Sanctuary to hook up with our old friends, like Cheshire and Tsu. Rufus would be coming as well, and our servants had to go in a form of protection. Of course, that was okay with all of us.

It was even up for debate if Justuo and Avi (that was my loving nickname for Avalanche) would be coming as protection as well. Yomi didn't approve, but really, Yoru was at least speaking to them. She seemed to not have a problem with them. Castle life was getting good, especially ever since Justuo came back into our lives.

I shook my head, and stepped back into my room, and went to my wardrobe, pulling out my grey sweats. Yep, it was going to be a really long training day.

"I really like Skye, though, Kairi," Mizu was whispering. "And Tai has been acting really weird lately. That new witch girl, Hazel, has her eyes on him. And I've caught him watching her!"

"Mizu, you stare at Skye all the time," I said, giving her a side glance as we walked down the hall with the other members of Mpopyya. I had just started calling us Mpopyya again because Avi had given me a competitive side. Mpopyya versus Avalanche; the words sounded epic to me. So I had brought our group name back to life.

"Yea, I know," Mizu said, guiltily. "But I can't help it, Kairi! There's something about him that I just can't ignore. If he walks in the room, and I don't even know he has, it's almost like I automatically can feel his presence and know he's there. It's crazy! And I can't help but like him! He's so damn fine, and he's sweet and kind and adorable, and irresistible..." Her ranting continued as we entered the Training Grounds.

"Well, honey, if you really want to be with Skye then break up with Tai. I'm sure he will understand," I said as she sucked in for breath and was about to keep going. Mizu released the gasped air. The others had gotten pretty far ahead of us, which was fine with me. I wasn't in any hurry to get to training.

"You really think so?" she whispered, looking torn. "I just don't feel that same fire between the two of us anymore, Kairi. And your brother makes me feel different than what Tai has ever made me feel." I didn't really know what to say. He was my brother. I couldn't really say much.

"Well, what's he acting like?" I asked. Before Mizu could reply, as if on cue, Skye walked by, and winked at Mizu.

"Hello, you," he said as we passed.

"Hey, Skye!" Mizu said, quickly. I shook my head. "Are you training today?"

"Yea, I'll be with Kairi, Yomi, Justuo, and Kiyo today," Skye said, his words turning bitter on the last two names. Skye had been holding a grudge against Kiyo ever since the day he came back. It was really awkward during training. Kiyo would always shoot him mean looks, and he would usually be glaring at her. He got frustrated easily, and Justuo was hot headed like Skye. So I was usually the one breaking up all the fights that happened between the three of them.

"That's good," Mizu said. "Maybe we can have lunch together?" She phrased it as a question, sounding a bit hopeful.

"As you wish," he said, automatically. What was with that? She smiled, dreamily, and waved goodbye as he continued walking down the hall. He obviously had a thing for Mizu…

"You see what I mean? He's so fucking hot, Kairi! And he's such a gentleman! How can you resist that?" Mizu's voice had become an excited hysteria of happiness.

"Calm down, Mizu," I whispered. "And no, honey, I don't feel that way about my brother."

"You have to admit he's hot!" Mizu gushed. I pinched the bridge of my nose as we stepped into the cool morning air.

"Mizu. If I say he's handsome, will you please calm down, and drop it?" I said it with a hint of humor in my voice.

"Fine!" she whined. "But I think he's sexy." I rolled my eyes as our entrance attracted our friend's attentions. Because we were being put through special training, Yoru and I weren't grouped with the other Guardians everyday like we used to be. Sometimes we were told that was what we were supposed to do, but it rarely happened considering Justuo had taken his rightful place as my sensei again, and that mean he was in charge of all of my training.

"Hey, Kairi, you're a slow poke," Yomi called over to me. I stuck my tongue out at her as we arrived at our group. Rath, Rufus, Fear, Night Rider, and Negative were all lined up and chatting. I guessed they would be the ones training us today.

"Run laps around the track. Run for about thirty minutes, and meet back here. Then we'll split up," Fear said. We jogged for the track that circled the Training Grounds. This morning it wasn't too cold, so we would be training outside. Another sign that spring was on its way. Thirty minutes passed quickly, and I found that I was hardly out of breath. Damn, I was getting really good at this running thing.

"Stretch yourselves out, and do some more warm ups. Push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. Maybe throw some body builders in there, too," Rath called out. Skye must've joined them at some point during our jog. He, Rath, and Negative were all three talking a little ways away as Night Rider and Fear spoke in what I'm sure was a seductive tone. Rufus was watching for the arrival of Justuo-sensei and whichever friend he had decided to bring today.

Finishing my warm ups, I stood with Yoru and saw that Justuo, Prompto, and Fayt had joined Rath. Rath seemed to like Justuo and his friends, maybe due to Justuo's infatuation with video games. Either way, they had gotten close. Kiyo and I had a theory that Rath and Justuo played video games in the middle of the night when no one else was up.

"Okay, let's split up then. Kiyo and Mizu with start with me and Fayt," Rath said.

"Kairi, Yomi, and Skye are with me," Justuo said, as if including Skye as a student rather than a teacher. I rolled my eyes as a spark in the air made me realize Skye had noticed, too.

"Yoru, with me," Rufus said. That was obvious. Yoru still hadn't made any progress with Darkness, though we hadn't really had to worry about it much considering Yoru's Darkness wasn't wild and controlling over her. It only came with her Demon form.

"That leaves me and Yami with some guns, eh, Yami?" Prompto teased flirtatiously. Yea, that was another thing. Prompto and Aki were the biggest flirts I'd ever seen! Worse than Tsu, even!

"Yea, yea, I'm coming," Yami replied in the same teasing tone. Yami liked Avalanche. She only had a problem with Justuo, and that was only because he had hurt Kiyo in the past. She never showed her sour feelings, and accepted Justuo instead. I mean, they were still friends of course. Why wouldn't they act as such?

"Head out of the clouds, kohai!" Justuo shouted, making me jump. "Let's go, you, Yomi, and Skye get a move on it!"

"Hey, elf boy, calm down!" Yomi snapped. "We're coming."

"Watch it, leech," Justuo replied.

"Excuse me?" Yomi practically growled, eyes flashing gold. This never freaked me out. They bantered on and on like this all the time. Sometimes Skye would join their banter, especially if it involved him or his species.

"You heard me. Come on, let's get to training," Justuo said. As he spoke, a large ball of fire grew from his hand and hurdled itself towards her. A bit surprised, Yomi sent the fire flying to the side, sloppily. Her eyes narrowed, and she also summoned fire. With a sigh and a roll of my eyes, I also summoned fire and listened to Justuo's instructions.

Kiyo's Point of View

After training with Water, which I had practically mastered it was so easy, I was sent to train with Justuo, Kairi, Yomi, and Kairi's jerk brother, Skye. Skye and Justuo were directing Yomi and Kairi with some kind of new technique that had to do with using fire like a whip. I watched, mildly curious at how Yomi and Kairi would be doing this. Kairi seemed to get it better than Yomi, though she still sucked pretty badly.

When Justuo and Skye demonstrated this, the fire would whip around them like an actual whip. Strangely enough, it was almost like dance with the fire and the bender. It was intriguing to watch. Finally, Justuo broke away from demonstrating to come and help me with the basics of fire again. We had been going over the basics for the past month. I already had them learned, and memorized. I also hadn't pushed myself too hard ever since the day I had gotten really light-headed. I didn't want to pass out!

"How are on this lovely morning?" Justuo asked. I smiled at his light-hearted mood; no Darkness today.

"I'm good, and you?" I replied.

"Well, I'm really tired 'cause Justuo didn't get much sleep last night," Justuo said, his voice turning to a childish, almost baby voice. We used to talk in a baby voice and in third person when we dated in the Human World.

"Oh, well, Justuo should sleep more then," I said, returning the baby voice. "Kiyo slept well, though! So Justuo should be sleeping well too!"

"Oh, well Justuo will try then," he said, smiling a playful, sheepish grin. "But for now, Kiyo should start training with Justuo. She really needs to learn how to use fire."

"Oh, okay," I replied, smiling innocently. We had attracted Kairi's attention, who was rolling her eyes, and smiling. She couldn't resist the cuteness of our baby voices. I stood and followed Justuo towards Yomi and Skye who were both already bending fire. Kairi must've been taking a break.

"Basics again?" I asked, sounding normal this time. Justuo grinned, hearing the obvious irritation in my voice.

"Yes, but we'll be going farther this time," he said, sounding a bit mischievous. What was he up to?

"Like what?" I asked cautiously.

"Target practice," he said simply. I scrutinized him, knowing there was deeper meaning to his words.

"Target practice?" I asked, making sure I had heard him correctly.

"Target practice," Justuo repeated. I nodded slowly as we began to warm up with fire. Let me just say that training with fire and training with water were two totally different things. Water was clear, flowing, cool, and pure. As for fire, it was fiery, hot, consuming, and destructive. They were truly opposites, and at times, I wondered how the hell I was supposed to learn and master both. After I got my magic flowing, and under control, Justuo made me do some basics with making it spread of my hand and up in the air and in a circle and blah, blah, blah. The basics were boring to me.

"So, when do we get to 'target practice' because I've seriously mastered this concept, Justuo," I said, blandly.

"Soon, soon, Kiyo," he said, waving his hand dismissively. "As soon as Kairi and Yomi are done with their round of practice, we'll do some target practice." His words made my eyebrows shoot up.

"No! Justuo, no!" I said, finally getting what 'target practice' meant. "Justuo, that is awful, we can't use Yomi and Kairi for target practice!"

"It'll be practice for all three of you. Kairi and Yomi are advanced enough in their training to block and diffuse fire that's coming towards them. It'll be fine," Justuo said, waving off my worry. I shifted uncomfortably, and glanced at my Guardian and second-in-command, both of them my sisters. _And what if they didn't the fire?_ I wanted to ask him, but decided against it. I would have to have faith in my friends.

When they finally finished their rounds of fire throwing, we met up with Kairi, Skye, and Yomi. Justuo explained the concept of 'target practice' but in a much nicer way. They both agreed, with a little reluctance from Skye. Oh well, he would get over it. We positioned ourselves a good thirty feet away from each other, Yomi and Kairi being closer to each other than me.

"Go on, Kiyo, you won't hurt them," Justuo prompted. I groaned internally, and began conjuring fire. With agility and precision (two things I lacked a lot of…) I threw the fire towards Kairi, knowing she had been controlling fire longer than Yomi. In a quick motion, she threw the fire to the ground. I hit and extinguished in seconds. Feeling relieved that it didn't burn her I threw more, this time towards Yomi.

She held her hands together, and seemed to split the fire in half, thrusting it behind her where it continued to fly until it extinguished on its own. I raised my eye brows a bit surprised, and began to actually try. Maybe this would be a little more fun than I thought…

Kairi's Point of View

"Lunch time, girls!" Rath called. Sweat dripped down my face as I panted. Yoru came up from behind me and Yomi. She hadn't even broken a sweat! Then I realized she was using magic, much less the extreme temperatures of fire.

"You look like you could use a shower," she teased. I gave her a critical look as Yomi answered for all of us.

"We're playing with fire – literally. Of course we're going to get sweaty." She glanced down, and gave herself a disgusted look. "I really want a shower."

"No point in showering if you're just going to come back out and get sweaty," Kiyo replied, walking up to us.

"I agree, sunshine!" Yami said, popping up with Prompto on her heels. He was infatuated with her hand held gun. I wasn't really sure why, or even what kind of gun it was, so I didn't say anything.

"I am about to die! Mizu needs some _mizu_!" Mizu shouted. I rolled my eyes at her reference to her Japanese name that translated to water.

"Then let's get some, because Yomi is very hungry!" Yomi complained. I laughed as we started for the Dining Hall with our teachers following behind us. I wondered what we looked like in their eyes. _Probably immature,_ I thought.

"I am so not ready to go back to training," Kiyo complained, with her head down on one of the long tables in the dining hall.

"It shouldn't be too hard, especially considering it's the last half of the day, _and_ it's a Friday. The most we'll do is spar for the rest of the day," I said, shrugging.

"I love when the guys spar…" Mizu breathed. "Especially Skye and Justuo; Skye is _so_ hot!"

"Brother!" I said, hearing enough about Skye from Mizu's infatuated sight of him.

"That's a little creepy, Mizu," Yomi said, looking a bit taken aback.

"I don't like Skye," Kiyo stated, bitterly. A silence fell upon our small group. I averted my gaze from her, and glanced to Lord Ash's table where most of him inner circle sat to eat, especially when they wanted peace from all the servants and duties. And I froze.

Justuo, Prompto, and Fayt all three sat up there with Ashu-Niisama and Rath. I eyes bulged a little. I reached over to Kiyo without taking my eyes off of them. She glanced up and her mouth dropped open.

"Holy hell…" Kiyo murmured.

"Whoa, what the fuck?" Mizu said, louder than either of us.

"Mizu, Kiyo, language! They can probably hear you!" Yomi hissed, but I could tell that her attention was also attracted to the main table. They seemed to be talking regularly, almost as if nothing were out of the normal.

"Are you seeing this, guys?" Yami whispered, pointing her fork in the direction we were gawking in.

"Darn, who would've thought," Yoru said, staring as well. Ashu-Niisama glanced at us, and we quickly looked away. "Jeez, terrible timing."

"That was so awkward…" Mizu stated in an obviously exaggerated whisper. We glanced at her with shared looks of, 'Really, Mizu? Really?' She shrugged, and scooped up another spoonful of corn.

"I'm going to take a short walk in the Gardens. I'll meet you guys back in the Training Grounds," Yomi said, standing awkwardly.

"I may join you for that," Kiyo said, standing as well.

"We feel the love!" I called after their retreating figures. Kiyo turned and winked before making a heart with her hands and offering a small apologetic smile.

"How strange. It's usually you going to the Gardens during break," Yami said after a few seconds. Warning bells went off in my head, and I thought of a cautious response for the statement that felt more like an accusation than anything.

"Really? I never noticed," I said, lamely. Yoru gave me a side-glance-warning look. I looked down at my plate, suddenly losing my appetite and realizing how guilty I felt for keeping things from Ashu-Niisama and my closest friends. It made me sick to my stomach.

"Anyways, we should get going. I want to stop by my room before we go back to the Training Grounds. You wanna come with?" Yoru asked, turning to me.

Feeling like a normal teenager, and wanting to reply in normal teenage lingo like Yoru had, I said, "Deff!" Yoru laughed at my dorky reply before standing. I followed her pursuit, telling Mizu and Yami we'd meet up for training later.

Mizu's Point of View

I had to talk to Tai. I couldn't be in a relationship with him if I had these raging feelings for Skye. For the past _month_ the only thing I could think about was Skye; where he was, what he was doing, if he was thinking about, and even what he dreamt about. A day didn't go by that I didn't think of Skye in some way, shape, or form.

So I had decided to talk to Tai today, especially considering he and I hadn't even been talking the way we used to. I knew he had finished his lunch and left Clover, his twin sister, with the rest of the conversing inner circle to go to his room (that he shared with Clover) for some alone time. He loved reading in his room when he didn't have duties around the castle.

As I walked down the West Wing, I passed an unfamiliar face; a female with wavy brown hair that stopped just at her shoulders. I also noticed her very prominent green eyes. But before any of that registered, the first thing I noticed about her was her extreme height. She had to be at least six feet tall! She towered over me like I was a mouse and she was an elephant. I couldn't help but stare. The girl gave me an awkward smile, and nodded as we passed, and I had to force myself not to stop and watch her walk down the hall way.

I would have to ask Ash about her later, or get Kiyo to give me the inside scoop. The doors continued until I came to one about mid-way down the hallway on my left side. I stopped at his door, hesitating. _Fuck it, _I thought to myself. _Just get it done._ I opened the door, and slipped inside. Tai was sitting on his bed, seeming to be in deep thought when I came in.

He didn't smile his usually charming smile, but instead a wry, almost hesitant smile. I pursed my lips before clearing my throat uncomfortably. "Hey," I said simply, not sure how to start this awful conversation.

"Hello," Tai replied, feeling the awkward air around us. I ran his hand through his beige hair which was a sign that he was deeply frustrated with something. My eyebrows furrowed, and I looked down. I should hurry this up; there was no point in procrastinating it.

So, with all of the confidence I could muster up inside me, I spoke. "We have to talk," I stated, and to my surprise, we had spoken in unison. Surprised and a bit taken aback, we both replied, "Oh, you first."

I blushed slightly, and quickly said, "No, you go first," before he could say anything else in unison with me. He nodded, though I could tell he was very reluctant. He didn't say anything, so I waited for his reply. I waited so long that for a little while, he wasn't going to say anything.

"Mizu, I don't think we're working out," Tai finally stated. He looked up at me, and I swear I felt my stomach knot into a million braids.

"Funny, I was thinking the same thing," I replied automatically.

"I don't want to hurt you, but I don't feel the same about you anymore," Tai said, changing the whole mood of conversation. My heart spluttered, and I felt every little knot that had tightened up in my stomach release. I couldn't help but smile.

"Really?" I asked. Tai gave me a concerned look, and examined my reaction again.

"You're…happy?" Tai asked, sounding utterly confused, and looking it, too.

"Yes, because that means you won't hurt when I tell you that I really like Skye!" I said, jumping up and down. Tai's face relaxed into a warm smile.

"Then that means you won't be mad that I like Hazel," he replied. I would later find out (from Kiyo, of course) that Hazel was the tall girl I had passed in the hallway and that she was also a witch like Tai and Clover. For that moment, I was happy, and I didn't really care who Hazel was, much less what.

"Nope, I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm just glad I didn't have to hurt you, Tai," I said, sincerely.

"I didn't want to be responsible for your sadness, so I didn't break up with you. You'll always be a good friend, Mizu," he whispered.

"You, too," I said, smiling. He had stood somewhere in the midst of our exuberant conversation, so it was easy to hug him, and let him enfold me in his arms one last time before our relationship was over. I felt no pain, and felt blissful that he wasn't upset either as I walked back to the Training Grounds for round two of "Avalanche Training for Mpopyya 101."

Kairi's Point of View

Filled up, happy from Yoru's inside jokes, and completely pumped to spar with Justuo, I practically ran for the Training Grounds. Yoru complained about my excited behavior and rolled her eyes at my exuberance. Rath had promised the rest of the day to be sparring, and even Yoru was a bit excited about not having to deal with more training and exercising. Yoru wasn't getting very far with her Demonic abilities. She couldn't use Darkness without taking her Demon form, and she couldn't quite control it yet. And so, Yoru hadn't gotten really frustrated with herself. I told her it would take time, and that she would figure it out.

Once we arrived at the Training Grounds (Rath and Justuo were chatting about some kind of war game or something) Kiyo and Yomi popped, up tackle-hugging us both. "Calm down, guys!" I called, laughing.

"We're going to spar!" Yomi squealed. "I'm so going to kick Justuo's butt! That Fearie-boy won't stand a chance!" Yoru and Kiyo laughed, though I know Kiyo's was a little more reluctant that Yoru's was.

"Hey!" Mizu shouted as she darted forward. Strangely, Yami wasn't with her. Behind her, my brother followed, seeming much happier than I've ever seen him. What was going on here? "Guys, where's Yami-Chan?" Mizu's terrible Japanese accent had Yoru wincing. I chuckled and shrugged as Kiyo answered her.

"I don't know. We thought she was with you." Mizu's face turned thoughtful as she slowly shook her head no.

"She isn't with me," Mizu said after a few moments. Skye had reached us by then, and had placed his arm around Mizu's shoulders. She blushed only slightly at the action, but didn't say anything. I guess I would have to be the one to ask.

"Um, is there something you should be telling us?" I hinted at Mizu before glancing at my brother, and then back to her.

"Oh, yea! Tai and I broke up," Mizu said simply. I raised an eyebrow, implying for more information. "He likes Hazel and I like Skye and Skye likes me. So Skye and I are kinda together now," she said in a rush of words.

"Hey guys, what did I miss?" Yami called from somewhere to the right of us. We all glanced over to see her coming from the castle with the rest of the training leaders for today.

"You missed the fact that Mizu is now dating Kairi's brother," Yomi said, hugging her 'twin.'

"Damn, I missed a lot. So much drama can happen in an hour," Yami said, shaking her head, and putting her elbow on Yomi's shoulder in an exaggerated relaxed position. I snickered, remembering her saying that a lot in the Human World.

"Let's spar!" Kiyo whined in exuberance. I felt a bubble of energy enter me through our connection, and jumped up and down several times shouting the same thing in agreement.

"You want to spar, Kohai?" Justuo challenged from Rath's side.

I turned to him, placed a hand on my hip, and raised an eyebrow in an over-exaggerated and playful way. "You want to take me on again?"

"If you can handle it, little girl," Justuo teased.

"Let's do it, then!" I shouted in excitement. I was _so_ pumped to spar. My friends cleared the area, giving us a good thirty foot fighting range in all directions. Justuo and I took on a fighting stance. The first thing I did was summon fire. I used the fire-whip technique he had just been teaching us a few hours ago.

It trailed my hands, almost dancing a routine. I stuck out with it, watching it lash Justuo. He laughed, unflinching. "I'm immune to fire, Kohai! Don't you remember that?"

I whipped the fire around in front of me, almost as a distraction before running through it, and allowing it to die as I palm-struck his shoulder. He grabbed my wrist, bending my hand down towards my wrist. I gasped in surprise and a bit of pain. He then kicked me right above my diaphragm, knocking me completely breathless. With me completely vulnerable, he jerked me forward, and moved, sending me flying to the ground. I tumbled, rolling across the dirty ground. I threw myself up, and onto my feet, making an extremely fast recovery.

"Brownie points, Kohai. You're getting better," Justuo said. I darted forward, swerving under her flying fist and swinging my leg behind his heels; hard. With a grunt he hit the ground, rolling backwards to get back on his feet. He ran forward and tricked me by punching only halfway towards my shoulder and making me dodge to my right, only to bring his left palm up in a reverberating strike to the arm that made me stumble.

Sweat dewed my forehead as we slowly began to circle. I had began to not feel pain by this point, which I found endearing. I always loved the moment that you became numb to all pain; it allowed you to do more that you usually could. We clashed again, dancing, striking, flailing, and pinning all the way. Sometimes fire was brought into the mixture, and other times it was just brute force. No weapons were summoned or drawn though, keeping the match clean.

Our spar must've lasted forever, because by the time I had finally exhausted myself, it had to have been at least four or five o'clock in the afternoon. We got off lunch break at two. I was panting heavily when Justuo finally said that it was enough. New sore spots, bruises, and red makes adorned my skin, and my muscles ached. To my pleasure, Justuo admitted that I had worn him down, too, and that he needed a break as well. Instead, we watched the water masters play their game.

"I say Rath and Fayt should go!" Kiyo called out. They both glanced at her before looking at each other. I joined in the laughter as the two turned cocky, and took each other on. And so the dance of the water benders began.

First Fayt summoned a ball of water into his hand until it was about the size of a beach ball. Rath's eyes widened in surprise wondering how the Feavii had done this. Then Fayt grinned, noticing the Vampire's surprise, and launched the ball toward him. It flew with surprising speed towards Rath until it was about 10ft away. Then Fayt clapped his hands together to make the water spread into a straight line, turning to spray that looked like it could shave stone. Rath dodged out of the way and then pulled water out of the Wisteria Fountain. He turned it into small arrows and sent it at Fayt so quickly that despite being water they still whistled threw the air.

Fayt jumped into the air, using his Feavii strength to launch himself 12ft high. He swung his arms around and the razor sharp spray of water re-directed and tore the arrows apart in mid air. He landed with a catlike grace, showing off his Feavii abilities for the small crowd. Rath dashed towards Fayt with invisible speed. As he dashed, he pulled water from the fountain behind him, leaving a trail of wet ground beneath him.

Fayt used his speed against him and vaulted around and behind him and spun on his heel ready to counter attack. Just as we thought Fayt had the upper hand he fell to his knees in front of Rath, surprising me. Rath had bound him around the legs and pulled him to an execution stance in front of him.

"It seems I have won," said Rath with sly confidence.

Fayt looked up with a mischievous grin and said, "Think again." Rath spun around only to find a few dozen spheres of water spinning at a rapid speed that Fayt had summoned at the last minute.

"It seems we have reached a tie. The ability to summon water from nothing is a valuable skill; we must exchange techniques one day," Rath said, a playful, joking tone in his voice. He proceeded to reach down and help the Feavii to his feet. When the two of them had finished playing around and soaking each other with epic tricks and amazing skills, Kiyo and Mizu took Fayt and Rath on.

So obviously, Mizu and Kiyo didn't win, but I will say that they worked really hard, and did really well, especially against two water masters. Fayt was so good with water, and so magically tuned, he could generate water from thin air. Though Rath couldn't do this, he could control water from much father distances than Fayt. The two seemed to balance out.

Kiyo and Mizu were only amateurs compared to them. It's only to be expected that they would lose. But they put up a great fight. I would've been decimated the first time I ever tried to go against the two, even with Yomi on my side. Their water would put our fire out in seconds.

The spar matches continued, ranging from Night Rider versus Rath, to Yomi versus Negative, to Justuo versus Yoru. After I had recovered enough, I sparred with Kiyo and Mizu, being gentle of course, but still sparring. They day was fun, and almost light-hearted as we learned new techniques and each other's weaknesses.

Sadly, we would have a very rude awakening to the raging war outside of our sanctioned home behind the castle walls. And very soon.

11


	39. Darkness Made Real

_**~Chapter Thirty-Eight: Darkness Made Real~**_

Yomi's Point of View

Saturday morning was warm, and had that soft breeze that reminded me spring was on the way. I was taking a walk to my favorite fountain in all of the Gardens, the Fountain or Aurora and Shadow. On this peaceful morning, I thought getting some meditation in would be helpful. We would be going to the Sanctuary next weekend and I knew we would need as much prayer that we could get. So I had made my way to the fountain in hope to get some good, light influence from the 'Aurora' side of the fountain.

Once there, I ran my hand through the clear and beautiful waters of the light side of the fountain. I smiled to myself, and hopped onto the side, crossing my legs and closing my eyes. The chirping of birds and the trickling sound of the fountain was the only thing that tickled my eardrums. I took several deep breaths, relaxing myself further.

Finally I just turned to the side, and laid my back against the cool marble. My eyes remained closed as I propped my foot up on my knee in a comfortable way. Several moments after I'd gotten comfortable, a dark shadow passed over my face. My eyes popped open automatically. They focused in on none other than Ren's face.

"Oh great, it's you," I said, bitterly.

"Hey, Kiyomi," Ren said, a smirk playing on his face. I squinted as the sun's bright raise blinded me a bit until I sat up, and faced him directly.

"What do you want, Ren?" I asked, making sure I sounded annoyed.

"I wanted to talk to you, and maybe hang out some. I've missed you," Ren replied.

"I haven't missed you." My voice was hard, and sounded like steel compared to his loose, and open tone. It really ticked me off.

"Are you so sure? Can't we just hang out for a little while? Maybe just talk some," he asked, sounding a bit desperate. His stupidity made me snap, and I found myself feeding my Vampiric nature.

"What the heck it your problem! I am sick of your weird possessiveness of me! No, okay? I don't want to be with you at all!" I screamed. My cheeks were flushed in anger when I turned to storm away. Dang it, I couldn't even take a peaceful walk without him ruining it!

"Is that so, Kiyomi?" I froze. Ren's voice had changed, deepening, and becoming much creepier than it had been about five seconds ago. I slowly turned around to face Ren, pursing my lips and watching him carefully. His strangely colored yellow eyes almost seemed to glow with a magic. And then I realized he was using Darkness. Ren could use that sick, freakish crap too? I know my eyes had flashed golden again when I replied.

"You don't even want to go there," I warned. His reply was cryptic, and sent unnatural chills down my spine that I refused to show, or let bother me.

"Why don't you come get a taste of the Dark Side, Kiyomi?" Ren sneered. I felt disgusted. As if there could be anything else wrong with this child!

"Oh, so you're on the Dark Side now?" I asked, mockingly. I knew how to taunt someone on Darkness, that's for sure. I had had plenty of practice with Justuo in the Human World.

"I always have been the Dark kind. Though you're too sweet and innocent for your own good. Maybe you should get a little dirtier?" Ren's words were obviously flirtatious. I thought I'd be sick.

"Um, no thank you," I said, allowing the disgust in my tone to show. "You shouldn't be so Dark. Ashu-Niisama isn't exactly in need of anymore freaks of nature that use Darkness." I know my words bothered him, but he didn't show it. Instead he crept closer, slowly.

"Ash? As if Ash cares about his soldiers' and Guardians' powers; as long as they can fight and protect." Ren had gotten a lot closer, forcing me to back away, involuntarily. I could feel the Darkness in his growing very slowly. This sick little freak needed to get a grip on reality!

"Ashu-Niisama is not a killing machine, you freak!" I defended him. Ren's eyebrow rose.

"You're so young and immature," Ren chuckled with twisted humor. "I like that about you, Kiyomi." I was surprised when I found that I couldn't back up anymore; I had hit the back wall. My eyes widened in surprise, and yet Ren continued forward. Surprising me farther, he reached forward, placing a hand on my arm. With his touch, came the dread of Darkness. I quickly swatted Ren's hand away.

"That doesn't belong there," I said, my voice cold as ice.

With a smirk, he reached forward again, and placed his hand on my hip. My eyes widened in uncomfortable surprise. "How about here?" his twisted voice asked. I could feel the cold of Darkness pulsing through him. Anger consumed me again. What was this freak's problem!

"If it didn't belong over there, then what do you think?" I snapped, shaking it off. His hand moved to a stray strong of my long golden hair. He twirled it slowly, and I found it very hard not blush in anger and frustration. He dropped it and raised an eyebrow, trying to push the Darkness over me. I glared him down, and quickly took the strand of hair in my hand. I stroked it quickly as if to strip his nasty germs from it.

"Who says you get to play with my hair?" I snapped. His eyebrow cocked up again, and his twisted smirk grew.

"Well, I thought I had permission considering I used to be your boyfriend," Ren said, sounding like a smart-alec. My glare grew fiercer.

"The key words in that sentence are 'used to be,' Ren," I said, my voice cold and drained of all emotion. He laughed dark, raising chills on my skin and making me wanting to get away from him at all costs.

"Isn't time just an illusion? Or at least that's what your _boyfriend_ says, right?" Ren asked, implying that Negative was nothing but a speck of dust on the shelf. My face drained of color as a very strong urge to smack him right across the face. I clenched my teeth, raised my hand, and let it fly forward as hard as I could (which is very hard considering I am Half-Vampyre.) Instead of it colliding with his cheek like I wished it would have, Ren's hand caught my wrist, too quick for Human power alone. His hand burned with Darkness.

"I like your eyes. They're pretty when they're golden," Ren said. A hiss slipped through my teeth in anger.

"I don't like Darkness," I said, evasively. Ren's grip tightened on my wrist, and he forced himself closer. I felt repulsed as he said his next words.

"Come on, Kiyomi. We're both mammals. Let's do it like they do it on the Discovery channel." My face grew as red as Ash's eyes did when he got mad.

"Get the heck away from me, you sick little twerp! What is your problem?" I yelled.

"Just speaking my mind, is all," Ren chuckled, inching closer. "Let me feed you a little bit of Darkness."

"I hate Darkness!" I shouted. I pulled my hand free, quickly. "Which is why I was sitting on the Light side of the fountain. I don't have time for Darkness, because I don't have any tolerance for it." I snapped the last part. He seemed to be taken aback, but quickly recovered. I didn't even pay him attention. I pushed past him and began to storm away.

"This is not over, dear Kiyomi," he called out, his tone creepily.

Mizu's Point of View

"Holy crap, Yami!" I exclaimed as I hung over the edge of the banister on the small veranda-like balcony. "Look at that!" Yami glanced over and saw Yomi pressed up against the wall by that creepy Ren guy. There was a chill in the air, and I'm guessing the weirdo was using Darkness. I knew the feeling all too well.

"What the fuck! What's he doing to my twin?" Yami demanded in outrage.

"I say we get Negative! Right now!" I proclaimed. "He is defiling her!"

"We'll save you, Twin!" Yami called, before we both took off down the hall, racing towards the West Wing of the castle. We stumbled into Negative's room, he glanced up from the book he had been reading. He was sitting in a comfy looking chair with his feet propped up on an ataman. Everything on his face except his eyes was blocked by a book. Beside him on a small table, a cup of coffee was steaming.

"Can I help you?" he asked, sounding a bit bewildered.

"Yomi is being defiled!" I yelled. "By that creepy Ren kid!" Without another word, Negative stood immediately and ran for the Gardens. Yami and I followed him, ready for some action. By the time we rounded the corner, Ren was standing, looking a little lost, and Yomi was walking towards us.

"Kiyomi, are you alright?" Negative asked, immediately.

"Yes, of course. I told you I could handle him," she said smiling sweetly at him. With a relieved sigh, a weary glance back at Ren, and a small smile, he kissed her cheek, taking her hand in his and intertwining their fingers.

"Mission accomplished!" Yami said, high-fiving me. I laughed as Yomi rolled her eyes playfully.

"I love you guys," she said, grinning as we walked back towards the castle.

Kairi's Point of View

I stirred, feeling an unsettling feeling fall upon me. I opened my eyes to find myself looking up at the canopy above my bed. Kiyo whimpered in her sleep beside me, and I realized we were the only ones still sleeping. I stretched, feeling the pit of my stomach knot up with the same unsettling, familiar feeling. I yawned quietly, hoping to not wake Kiyo up.

With a quick jolt, I realized the feeling had been Darkness. I sat up, and slipped some house shoes on. I peeked out the pink curtains covering my windows, looking for a source of the internal dread. Thankfully, it wasn't a full onslaught of the sick element, but a weakened prodding of it instead.

Nothing looked out of the ordinary, and I shrugged it off. I was probably imagining things. I slunk back to my bed, still drowsy from the long, restless night. I curled back into my bed after kicking my shoes off, and returned to the dream world.

"Good morning, Kairi," Skye greeted as I walked towards the Dining Hall. I was off to find Ashu-Niisama. I had a few questions for him. Like why he and Justuo seemed so close, and about the weird Darkness that I felt this morning.

"Hello, Skye," I said cheerily.

"You slept well, I presume?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at my happy tone.

"Actually, no. I was really restless last night. And to top that off, I woke up this morning feeling Darkness." I frowned at the sound of my voice saying it aloud. I began to realize how absurd that sounded. Skye gave me a peculiar look before it turned to worry.

"You're okay, right?" he said, sounding a bit defensive.

"Yea, of course!" I said, quickly. "I'm fine." He nodded slowly, and we came into the Dining Hall. Ashu-Niisama was at the head table again. I waved bye to Skye as he split ways to join Mizu, Yomi, and Yami. Kiyo and Yoru met up with me where we had planned to. We were all three going to get some answers from Ashu-Niisama

"Ashu-Niisama," I said, bowing gallantly. He smiled and shook his head.

"Yes, Kairi, what is it?" he asked, unable to stop smiling.

"We wanted to speak with you, please," I asked. Ash nodded and stood, excusing himself from the conversation between Rath, Edge, and Clover. He followed us to the side before stopping when we were a safe distance from magnified hearing.

"What could the three of you be up to?" Ash asked, teasing. I looked in between Kiyo and Yoru before gaining the confidence to quench our curiosity.

"Ashu-Niisama, what were you and Avi talking about yesterday? You were acting like you were old friends," I said, watching him carefully. Ash chuckled which was music to our ears. We didn't want him angry at us for prying and asking him a bunch of questions.

"Ah, I see. That's why you've come to talk," Ash said, lightly. He was joking, as if the whole thing was a minute detail. Hell, it probably was, but Mpopyya was curious to know what connection they had.

"Yes sir," I said, smiling sheepishly.

"It's been driving us crazy!" Kiyo said, looking honest.

"Even me, I'll admit," Yoru said, cracking a smile.

"Alright then, alright then. We'll talk about it. Justuo, Aki, and Hana have been coming to the Other Worlds for near five years now," Ash began. "Before you and your friends were thrown into this situation, Justuo, Aki, and Hana fought under me in the previous wars. Believe it or not, we respected each other really well. Of course, that was before Kiyo had joined the situation, and all hell broke loose," he finished in a teasing tone.

"You make it sound like it's my entire fault!" Kiyo said in mock offense. He gave her a caring look that said he hadn't meant it before continuing about Justuo.

"The three of them were good soldiers, I'll admit. But times change, and people change with it. There is only so much time in forever; remember this as your own time flows by." Ashu-Niisama always had his way of making us each think to ourselves. I knew Kiyo and Yoru were thinking as we walked away from him, back towards the table where the rest of Mpopyya was waiting.

Yomi's Point of View

"Hold on, dear, we're almost there," Negative said, as we rode farther across the plain on horseback.

"That's fine, I'm enjoying every second of this," I said, leaning against him more with my arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"I had to get you away from Ren somehow, right?" Negative teased. "What better way than a little date?" I giggled, unable to help the happiness that Negative made me feel. We rode for several more minutes before the horse slowed to a trot, and then stopped completely. I jumped down first, Negative following close behind. The surroundings looked familiar, though it had been a very long time since I'd been here.

"Amethyst Lake, love?" I asked with a smile in my voice. "Irony at its best."

"I thought it would be far enough to get all thoughts of Ren away. Come on, love. Let's go to the edge of the lake," Negative said, taking my hand, and pulling me from the brown mare we had arrived on. Once at the edge of the lake, I kneeled down on the cool ground, dipping my hands into the purple, illusive water.

"It's so pretty," I whispered as the unnaturally warm water flowed between my fingers. "And it's warm!" I exclaimed.

"Amethyst Lake is warm year round due to the heated water from underneath the earth and crystal below," Negative explained as continued running my hands through the water. Then I kicked my combat boots off, and dove right in.

"Kiyomi!" Negative called as I resurfaced in the warm water.

"It feels wonderful! Won't you come and swim with me?" I asked, sweetly. His slightly worried face dissipated, turning to a relaxed smile.

"Of course, Yomi, anything for you," he replied. He, like me, took his shoes off, and dove into the warm, purple water. He broke the surface right near me. I swam to his side, taking his hand, smiling.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Negative. Thank you for getting me away from the castle for awhile." My reply was sincere, and I knew he would do anything for me. I love my teddy-bear, so very much.

Justuo's Point of View

I stood on a vast plain. There was glassy frost that covered the ground as far as I could see. I had traveled a little farther north and frost and a little bit of snow had covered the ground in this area. It was a little cold but nothing I couldn't handle. My mind flashed back to Aki shouting at me.

_ "She is with the king, Justuo! Are you crazy? No matter what you try, it will never work again. He would never allow it to happen, man! I can't believe you're doing something like this just to prove to her you still love her!" _

_ I glanced at him sideways as I punched the punching bag in the gym in the town of Zephyr faster. "I just don't understand Justuo, why keep torturing yourself like this? Just help them as a group, but stop hurting over her, man!" I punched the bag faster, my hands a blur. Some of the gyms inhabitants had started to look over at Aki and me. I noticed Fayt and Prompto walking towards us running towels threw their dampened hair, from sweat or from swimming in the pool, I didn't know. _

_ "Justuo STOP!" Prompto shouted at me and he and Aki held my shoulders and Fayt summoned water. My two friends pulled me away from the bag and I saw I had unconsciously summoned fire and lit my hands while punching. _

_ Damn my emotions, I thought to myself. Fayt extinguished my hands and Aki and Prompto let go and patted down the punching bag, putting out the fist sized rings of fire on it. _

_ "Seems like it's time for you to let the angel out for a bit," Fayt said raising an eyebrow in my direction. _

_ "Yea, I guess. Here guys. Go and meet up with the girls and we will all train later if you want. I'll go for a walk." I said this with my head slightly hung. They knew that I felt bad for the loss of control while I had pondered on my past. _

_ "Yea, man," they all three said in unison as Avalanche did so often due to the mind connection._

_ "Just be careful, okay? And don't worry about feeling like your commanding us," Aki said with a matter of fact tone._

_ "Yea! We all know we all have a share in our family, there is no leader. We do it because we want too," Prompto said._

I came back to reality. I was in the middle of nowhere. No one could be hurt here if I wanted to let loose. I laughed in my head and chuckled aloud, taking my stance. Flames burst to life in the palms of my hands and I looked at it. Fire could be used for anything; to survive, to fight, to heal, and to even build structures in the worst of situations. I turned my hands outward and pointed them toward the ground. I sent a detonation flying at my target. An explosion erupted and a crater the size of a bike was left.

"Tsk," I said smirking at my own restraint. My hands burst into a frenzy of flames. And I sent another one a little farther this time. The crater was the length and width of a decent sized truck. I laughed and thought to myself, _I need to let this out. Now is the best time to do this. Away from those you love and from those you don't want to see this side of you._

My arms burst to life with fire, from my figure tips to my shoulders. I welcomed the warm tingling feeling that came with my fire. I thrusted my arm forward and a detonation sliced through the earth rendering it open by about 3ft deep and 10 ft long directly in front of me. That was a move I wanted to teach Kairi, a fire whip that detonated anything the tip of it touched. I grinned.

There was so much I wanted to teach her and my Kiyo. My whole body felt warm and tingly. No one could ever tell when I did this, but my whole body looked ablaze! What I really did was channel my fire around my body only inches from my skin. A detonation flew from my chest without even needing a hand motion and left a crater the size of a house a couple hundred yards away. _Now I'm letting it out. _Time for the dark angel, I was tired of playing.

I crouched and readied myself for the immense levels of magic that soon coursed through my body. Dirt and water showered down on me from the last big detonation melting the frost and soaking my hair. "Here we go," I spoke to myself. "Let it all out." Memories flooded my mind, provoking me into the Darkness; memories of my past, of my wrongs, of losing Kiyo to him. Kiyo…my mind flooded with memories, good and bad, but because I wanted to vent and let the Darkness out, I focused on the bad.

Aki's Point of View

My friends and I stood in the distance, watching and waiting. Damn…I felt for my brother as his sorrow poured into me through our strong connection. I had just seen a few of his detonations. They were sizable enough I guess, but it had me wondering, _why is he holding back?_

"I don't know," responded Hanabe. She always saw they pure logic in things. Even Justuo and I had a hard time tripping up her mind set. It wasn't often we got to hear her say "I don't know." Just then, I saw a pretty big detonation explode from Justuo. It looked the size of a house from here.

"Heh! Looks like he is cutting loose a little." Avalanche chuckled behind me. Then, as the ruble fell to the ground, the mist that was melted frost showered the view. From the frosty veil of mist, I saw blue-purplish-black energy. "Here we go guys. This is what we were waiting for. Now let's see how well he controls it," I said aloud, knowing that if he told us he had gained more control of the angel then he truly meant it if proved it today.

"This should be very interesting," Akira said with a smug smile. The burst of dark energy formed an oval shape around Justuo. From this distance, it looked the size of a quarter being held at an arm's length away from your eye, but I knew it was more the size of a small motorcycle.

"Hmm is he going to let out the angel you think?" Serein ask.

"I'm sure he is but, it is a painful process. He has to up the magical output enough to overload his magical resonance, but not enough to kill him. It is a difficult process," Fayt said "matter-of-factly."

Prompto grinned slyly. "I can feel it guys. Here it comes." Just then I looked back towards Justuo. The orb of Darkness imploded within itself as though Justuo had absorbed all the resonance we had seen. A couple seconds later, a scream, loud and full of rage and sorrow filled the air. Still from a distance it was relatively loud. Then a shockwave across the ground caused the frost to leap into the air, refracting all the light being thrown upon the land by the radiant sun. Like shards of glass being flung into the air. Then electricity sparked the air around Justuo as I felt his magic levels rise to a high they had not seen since the MPOPYYA girls had gone missing. The glass like frost fell back to the ground and the electricity faded back into him.

"Why is it still so violent, Fayt?" Hana asked him.

Akira interrupted, "He still has to learn to control the transformation. He is using too much energy when he overloads himself."

"I don't remember your name being Fayt, wolfy boy!" Fayt retorted. Akira laughed.

"He says to watch his new move," I said to the others.

"Ask him to cut the connection to the rest of us, please. I can't handle that level of Darkness, Aki," Serein said with a grimace contorting her features.

Before I could request this, the angel jumped into the air and flapped its wings once to gain another twelve or so feet. He was an unrecognizable figure around twenty-five feet in the air with his wings expanded to full length, about twice as long as he was tall. The sun glistened off of them, shining in their own blue-black void, casting their shadows upon the ground.

All at once, his wings folded inward, and he plummeted toward the earth. A split second before he collided, I saw a flash of light. From our connection, I knew he had combined Fire and Darkness to make a dense hand held detonation that he could shove into the ground. Added to his speeding dive bomb and his fire, the Darkness would prove to be a pain in the ass in battle.

I'd admit it was a pain in the ass to keep up with him. I laughed. I could still take him though, even without a universal magic to call my own. Along with Kiyo, Avalanche and I kept him reigned in.

"Jeez, showoff!" Serein shouted at him.

"Like he can hear you!" I shouted back. All of Avalanche smiled and laughed together as the dust and frost blew past us from the shockwave of energy due to the small comet my brother had created. He had changed back, and was sweating and breathing hard from the massive energy he had used.

Through our mind connection we spoke with him, checking on his health and jeering at him for being so angry as to create the crater out of what seemed like pure boredom and pain. He smiled and chuckled at us.

Hana seemed like she was brooding. "If this you Justuo," she started.

"Imagine how Ash and Elliot must be?" continued Prompto.

"Yea. But their powers are not so straight forward as mine. I feel better. Let's find something fun to do!" Justuo said with a sly grin.

Laughing aloud, I said "I thought you would never ask!"

Prompto shouted, "Yea! There are so many cute maids around the castle, ripe for the picking!" Faster than the eye could see, Hana punched him.

"Shut up, you womanizing child!" she shouted, as though she were on the war path. Damn…she was scary.


	40. Sanctuary

_**~Chapter Thirty-Nine: Sanctuary~**_

Kairi's Point of View

_"Cheshire!" Tsu calls. "Cheshire, come here!" The white haired boy turns_ _around to face Tsu, his red eyes widening in surprise._

_ "Tsu?" Cheshire asks, smiling, his red eyes widening. "Why are you here? What's wrong?"_

_ "I…wanted to walk with you," Tsu says looking down. "Is that okay?" Tsu tries sounding indifferent, as if he doesn't care._

_ "Of course!" Cheshire says, smiling as his white cat ears twitch. Tsu flushes slightly, and follows Cheshire's skipping form for awhile before Cheshire stops at the bakery. "Do you want something to eat, Tsu?"_

_ "I…I want…" Tsu begins, looking up to meet Cheshire's eyes._

_ "What is it, Tsu?" Cheshire asks innocently._

_ "I think I want…" Tsu says hesitantly._

"No, no, no! That is not how it would happen!" Koru shouted. I blinked, returning to reality from Yoru's story as we rode on our lions at a fast walk, almost like a horse trot. Koru, a new girl that we had met upon our arrival to the Sanctuary an hour or so ago, walked beside our lions. She had light purple hair, and a cute kitty hoodie that was always pulled up and onto her head. The hoodie had ears that poked up from the crown of her head, and I guessed they were filled with actual ears. Her black shirt with pink trim was more like a bra that covered her entire chest except for a diamond shaped portion in the middle. Her arms were bare, only covered by bands of pink cloth at the pink trim line of her bra-like shirt.

Koru's stomach was completely bare. Her legs adorned long, black boots, all the way up to her thighs where they were then covered with a short, matching mini-skirt with pink ruffles and a pink belt. Black, fingerless gloves covered her wrists and hands, matching everything else that was black. Even her tail that poked out from under the skirt and swished around like Cheshire's did on a normal basis, was black. I liked her style though. I also noted that outfits in the Sanctuary were much more intricate than some of the ones from the Paranormal World.

Yoru crossed her arms, and looked away from Koru. "Fine then. What would it be like?"

"Guys, please! I'd rather not hear about your fantasies of Tsu and Cheshire!" Kiyo said, pressing her hand to her ears. She and Yami were mounted on Haiiroyasha while Yomi rode with Yoru and Mizu rode with me. As for our servants, they were walking with Koru who was also walking with Rufus. Avi was supposed to meet up with us at some point today, but when and where was a mystery to me.

The week before our trip had passed fast, and with as much training as we could cram in, Ashu-Niisama was sure that we were ready. He had made Avi promise to come to our aid if we needed it. He made our servants go with us as well, and Rufus was tagging along to get back to the Sanctuary. He was probably feeling homesick and tired of castle life.

We had hurried to the Sanctuary through a portal Ashu-Niisama had made for us, claiming that that was the closest location he could send us to that was close to our friends' settlement in the Sanctuary. Once we arrived, though, we found ourselves in the middle of nowhere, with only the young, cat-like girl, Koru, around. She had told us that she knew our friends, Tlxel, Mary, Tsu, Cheshire, and even Sempu.

Trusting the girl's judgment and friendly attitude, we followed her. It turns out that Koru loves guy couples; strange…but cute at the same time. Her biggest supporting couple was "Chu" or Tsu and Cheshire. Yoru and Koru both liked the idea, and had soon began chatting about how they would secretly hide their feelings. I joined in on several occasions, commenting or laughing when I found something intriguing. The thought of Tsu and Cheshire being a secret, forbidden love was strangely appealing.

"We've been riding for hours!" Mizu complained.

"Tsu wouldn't confess so easy," Koru continued.

"Guys, please!" Kiyo and Yomi complained in unison.

"I'm hungry!" Yami whined. The now loud and talkative group of my friends echoed through my head. I pinched the bridge of my nose as their reverberating voices threatened my mind with a headache.

"Can we calm down some, please?" I asked simply. All eyes turned on me. "Koru, how much longer until we get there?"

"Not much longer at all, though we'll probably need to walk through the forest up ahead," Koru replied,

"I don't even see a forest," Yami stated. I was about to agree when Koru dashed forward past a cliff-like wall of rock and stopped to turn around and wave us towards her. Yoru raised one eyebrow at me before we followed her quickly.

"She has a bounce to her step, like most Felions do," Lancer commented to Axel, but it caught my attention due to the strange word I didn't know.

"Felions? What are they?" I asked Lancer as we stopped at Koru's side.

"I am a Felion!" Koru answered, looking a bit puzzled. "So is Cheshire. You didn't know what the name of our species was?" Koru pinched the bridge of her nose in mock exasperation. "Felions are cat-people, as you would call them. Cheshire, his brother Nightmare, me…" She allowed her sentence to trail before continuing. "The list goes on, and on. And Rufus and Tsu are Canians. Dog-people as you call them. Believe it or not, we do have scientific names, though most people just call us by slang terms."

Well dang. I never really considered Cheshire to be anything but Human with cat-like features. He had his own species and everything. It would take awhile for me to wrap that concept around my head. I'm sure my friends were thinking the same. You learn something new every day, I guess.

"Now, let's get to the others. They're waiting for you," Koru said with a smile. We rounded the big rock-wall and found a blanket of trees stretching ahead. "This is the forest I was referring to," Koru said matter-of-factly. "From here, we walk. The trees are too dense to ride your lions through with more than one person. And even if you did drop a person, it would be very hard to weave through the trees."

That was our cue to allow our spirit weapons to come back into us. As we dropped, Koru flitted forward towards the woods. I fell in step with Lancer as each of us followed after Koru.

Yomi's Point of View

I had turned my head for maybe thirty seconds, and now I couldn't even see my friends. I quickened my pace, and listened for their voices to no avail. I looked around, desperate to see some sign of where they could've gone; I had just saw Lancer and Kairi walking together! They couldn't have disappeared so quickly. With a few more surveys of the surrounding woods, I sighed in defeat.

_Crap!_ So I had lost the others. I groaned aloud, and decided to watch trees and make my way through the wooded area. How bad could it be?

Twenty minutes later, I had the feeling that I was going around in circles. The tree began to look the same. Though how much different can one tree be from another? I stopped and groaned in frustration. Annoyed, I leaned against a nearby trunk and tried to calm my anger. The thick silence that had fallen over my surroundings after I had stopped walking made me fidget uncomfortably. "Kairi! Yoru!" I called, surprised when my voice sounded loud due to the dead silence. "Kiyo?" My voice echoed around me, bouncing off the trees and canopy.

When there was no reply, I sighed loudly to keep noise in my ears and turned. Shock coursed through me, and I almost screamed in surprise when my eyes landed on a cloaked figure about four feet away. Judgment formed in my hand in response to my suddenly fear.

"Who are you?" I demanded quickly.

"You're going the wrong way. They went that way," the cloaked figure said, pointing to my right. His voice was masculine, for sure, but the dense forest barely allowed any light to shine through its canopy, and his hood shadowed his eyes and face; I could not see him.

"Right…" I said slowly, allowing disdain to creep into my voice. "And you expect me to believe you?"

"Whether you do or do not is not my decision. You looked like you could use some help." His voice was young-sounding, and I guessed he was about seventeen to twenty years old.

"What proof do you have that they went that way?" I asked, my voice guarded.

"Can't you smell them?" the boy asked. Something in my stomach clenched. He knew I was part Vampyre?

"How do you know what I am?" I demanded in defense as my eyes narrowed at him.

"You smell like a Human, but also smell of royal Vampyre blood," the cloaked figure replied. That made me feel uncomfortable…But I opened my nose to my surroundings and reached within myself to allow my Vampyre lineage to heighten my senses. I knew my eyes had turned gold as the scents and sounds of the forest around me made themselves known.

Over-looking the earthy scent of the soil and the leafy scent of the trees, I faintly smelled my friends' familiar scents. And with that came my realization of how stupid I was; I had a mind connection to Kairi and Kiyo. Of course; why didn't I think of that before? Annoyed with myself, I turned right and began following their scents through the forest.

"I knew you could find them," the cloaked figure said as I walked away.

"Yea, I guess," I said slowing. "Thanks, I guess."

The cloaked figure chuckled and replied, "You're quite welcome, young one." Without another word, I continued through the forest, onward to find my friends. After a long time of walking, and had a small hint of doubt that the guy wasn't really trying to help me. And soon, I was doubting my own senses. The trees seemed endless, and my Vampiric nature began to fade back inside me. My eyes had returned to their natural shade.

A voice caused me to jump, and stop in my tracks. "Hey, Yomi, what are you doing?" My heart sunk when I heard who the voice belonged to. I slowly turned around to find Justuo, Fayt, and Aki watching me, one smirking, one sneering, and one clearly trying to hold back a laugh. I mentally groaned.

"I'm walking through the woods, looking for the rest of my group," I said, with an over-sweet smile.

"Really? It seems you're lost or something, because you've been walking in a thirty yard circle for awhile now." It was Aki who made the remark, and I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm getting some fresh air," I replied coolly.

"Yea? We saw that weird guy in the cloak. The way you both interacted made us wonder if he was going to attack you. You seemed to be in need of help then," Justuo replied and I could tell his smile was indicating that he was being a smarty pants.

"Nope, he was just trying to give help that I didn't need," I retorted.

"We've been tracking your ass, Yomi. No need to act like you had it all under control," Aki said, smiling as well. "Just admit it."

I ground my teeth together and said, "Look, can we just get to the rest of Mpopyya?"

"Sure. We've been tracking them as well. Prompto, Hana, and Serein have probably already met up with them," Fayt said. "We saw that you had gotten separated from the group, and decided it was best to follow you."

_Of course, the stupid fairy boys would follow me. At least I can get along with Hana and Serein,_ I thought to myself as I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Well let's go then."

"We'll lead. Us being Feavii, we can navigate the woods much better than any blood sucker," Justuo said, tauntingly.

"I don't even drink blood, Feavie!" I snapped back as he, Fayt, and Aki took the lead. We bickered all the way through the woods on our way back to Mpopyya and the rest of Avalanche.

Kairi's Point of View

"We're almost out, right?" I asked Koru as I dodged tree branches, limbs, and thorny vines.

"Yea, it's right up here. Everyone has been really worried about you, Yoru," Koru said. Just then, as we broke free of the tree, a great force collided with my back and I tumbled to the ground, face first. A yelp echoed through the area that had escaped my mouth without my permission.

"My lady!" Lancer said in worry before his voice was drowned out by another.

"Kohai Kairi!" I heard a familiar voice say. I groaned when the weight shifted and her voice continued. "What are you doing; get up!" The weight lifted, and soon I was pulled from the ground and up onto my feet.

"Serein?" I asked in a daze. She laughed and I blinked everything back into focus. "Where are the others?" I asked. As soon as the words escaped my mouth, Prompto and Hana both dropped down from what I guessed were tree limbs.

"Hey Yami," Prompto said, wriggling his eye brows. What a flirt! She laughed it off and greeted him.

"You're such a flirt," Hana muttered rolling her eyes, creepily mirroring my thoughts.

"Who is this?" Koru asked, raising an eyebrow at the trio.

"These are members of Avalanche," I said quickly.

"And I have to ask this," Prompto began. "Are you single?" Koru blushed beat red before looking away.

"Don't mind this little blond rat," Hana said, rolling her eyes again. "He flirts with anything that breathes." Hana drew her fist back and slammed it into Prompto's arm. He actually stumbled a bit, surprising me.

"Right…," Koru said, a bit flustered.

"Where are the others in Avi?" I asked Serein.

"Bringing sexy back!" Justuo's voice shouted from the forest behind us. I turned to face the general direction just in time to see Yomi, Justuo, Fayt, and Aki emerge from the trees. Until then, I hadn't noticed Yomi wasn't with us.

"Yomi isn't sexy!" Aki shouted back, despite our close distance.

"Wow," Yomi said, unable to hide an annoyed blush. She went to Yoru's side at once, obviously wanting some distance from the obnoxious Feavii boys.

"Yea, we found that the little brat had gotten lost," Justuo teased.

"But we figured with our advanced woodland skills we could show her the charity of bringing her back to your little flock." Fayt continued.

"Don't do that." Yoru said.

"Do what?" Fayt, Aki, Prompto, and Serein said all at once.

Justuo chuckled, "I think she means when we finish."

"Each other's sentences?" continued Aki.

"Oh my god, that is so cool!" Mizu said poking Yami.

"There like freaks of nature!" Yami squealed in a teasing voice.

"Freaks?" Hana questioned raising one eyebrow accusingly.

"Yep, definitely freaks," Yomi said, a hint of a smile forming on her lips. I pinched the bridge of my nose before covering my laugh with a cough.

"It's just because when we are all connected and when we are all paying attention to each other, we know what the others are about to say," Serein said.

"Kairi and I used to be like that," Kiyo said thoughtfully. "I wonder what happened to us?" A tinge of guilt twisted my stomach. I'd started blocking Kiyo out when Lightning and me had started getting close.

"I came along and ruined it I suppose!" Justuo teased. Serein laughed. Her laughter sounded like a song. I guess it was an elf thing, but I had never thought someone's laugh was so beautiful.

"Yes you are quite the charmer Feavii!" Serein laughed in a sing song voice.

"Do all elves have pretty laughter?" Kiyo asked in awe. I almost thought she had read my mind before I realized everyone in Mpopyya had been gaping at her pretty laughter, even Yomi.

"Is it pretty?" Serein questioned.

"Quite," I said, smiling my best chibi smile. She laughed again, and I couldn't help but laugh with the rest of them.

"We should be going," Koru said.

"Let's go then! Cheshire awaits us!" I said like a dork.

"You're a dork, Kairi," Justuo said as he ruffled my hair.

"And yes most elves laugh like her. A few things the humans got right in their legends; the Elves' beauty, their grace, their amazing singing, and their cleverness," Hana said matter-a-factly.

"Really?" I asked, my eyes widening as we began walking again. "Can you tell me more?"

"More about what?" Justuo asked.

"All the Feavii, Fearies, and Elves," I said as if it were obvious. Justuo laughed and spoke to me about his culture and everything about Elves. Soon, we were arriving at a small village. My first sight of the village was one that involved Tsu and Cheshire. Rufus smiled and shook his head as we neared and saw that Cheshire was eating cake and telling Tsu to eat some, too.

"Hey, Cheshire!" Koru called. "Kiss Tsu so we can see how it would really work out!" Yoru busted out in laughter as Cheshire turned toward us.

"What?" Tsu demanded as Cheshire said, "What's a kiss _nya_? Is it tasty?"

I laughed along with Yomi and Yami. "Some are _very_ tasty, eh Kiyo?" Mizu said in a perverted voice.

"Cut it out!" Tsu snapped. Yoru and I high-fived Koru in praise of her accomplishment of flustering him.

"It's good to see you, Tsu, Cheshire!" I called. A flashback of my first visit to the Sanctuary with Lancer replayed through my mind before I heard their reply.

"Yoru, Kairi, Yomi, Kiyo!" Cheshire yelled in joy.

"It's been awhile," Tsu said taking on a new tone. "This is Yami and Mizu then?" He pointed to them both, looking a bit surprised that they had been noticed. "But who are they?" Tsu pointed to the members of Avalanche who had gathered around our "flock" as Fayt had called us.

"This is Avalanche. They're some friends that are supposed to be protecting us," Kiyo said earnestly.

"So Ash didn't think we could handle it?" Another voice entered the conversation and had us turning to see the familiar face. Sempu with her long white hair approached from the village. It had been such a long time since I'd seen her, even before Yoru had lost her memories. My eyes lit up, and I knew I was smiling when Yoru spoke to her.

"Nice to see you again," she said, with a smile.

"I'm sure that was sarcasm. Come now. The others are waiting for you," Sempu said. "And it's nice to see you, Rufus. Welcome home."

"Thank you, Sempu," Rufus replied generously. He fell into step with her as we began to follow her. Cheshire ran forward, tackling Yoru in a big hug.

"Yoru! Yoru, Yoru! You've got to have some of Mary's cake! She makes the best! And Wes has missed you! And wait 'til you meet Annesonte! She's got pretty pink hair like Kairi!" Cheshire babbled as Yoru hugged him back, a bit over-whelmed. "And I found these really pretty daisies that you have to see!"

"Okay, calm down, Chesh," Yoru laughed. He then turned to Kiyo, Yomi, and me. Hugging each of us tightly, he caught us up on the war status in the Sanctuary. Is it bad that I kept forgetting about the war? I think it is…

Our servants were rather quiet until we reached the center of the village. We then released them to do as they pleased. Archer's first stop was to see his brother, Wes, and his new girlfriend, Annesonte. I wasn't sure what to think of all the new faces that Yoru had never met or told us about. I knew Tlxel and Ryo Crescentworth, Yoru's Sanctuary siblings, and I knew lots of others, but most of the people seemed like new comers, and some even Yoru hadn't met yet.

When we finally reached the destination Sempu was leading us to, we had walked a good while. I was happy to see a bigger house that must've been Mary and Tlxel's. We entered, and were immediately thrown into a huge debate-like argument. Wes and a small looking girl with shimmering pink hair sat together on the couch, hand-in-hand; though I could tell they were part of the argument.

Mary, with her long golden hair, was shouting at Tlxel, whose eyes were as red as the bright red in his hair. "If we move out of this area, there's a good chance that Elliot will catch us! It's not like we have a small group of people here, Tlxel," Mary retorted.

"Guys, please, can we stop arguing?" Lunallie said. She was the spitting image of Yoru in the Human World except her hair was much lighter and she was much more social and sweeter.

"We have company," Sempu stated. Her words hung in the silence that followed. "Let's save the debate for later."

"Yoru?" Tlxel asked in surprise. Then another eruption sounded, but this one was filled with loving greetings and introductions. Archer and Wes embraced as Mary took Yomi into her arms, claiming she had heard so much about her. Lunallie invited us to make ourselves at home, and embraced each of us. We introduced our old friends to Avalanche, explaining the predicament and the reason for their presence.

"It's lucky Sempu had informed me that you were coming or we wouldn't have had bedrooms set up," Mary was saying as Cheshire swatted at Tsu's tail. I chuckled, feeling completely at home in the warm living room that belonged to Mary. Lunallie showed us to our rooms before allowing us some privacy to make it a bit more homely.

Kiyo, Mizu and I were sharing a room while Yomi, Yami, and Yoru were sharing a room. Avi guys were doubling up and the Hana and Serein were sharing one to themselves. Our servants would have a room to share, thought it was apparent that Archer would probably be going to stay with Wes. After the house had cleared out some, leaving Lunallie, Mary, Wes, Archer, and Annesonte, Kiyo, Yoru, Yomi and I migrated downstairs.

"Kairi, I need to introduce you!" Mary said suddenly. She rushed over to me. "You need to meet Annesonte, properly." She explained this as she pulled me towards Wes and the young girl, Annesonte. "Go on, Annesonte," Mary prompted.

"Hello, Kairi," she said softly. She seemed young, and excruciatingly familiar. Her eyes were deep blue, her hair was light pink, and she was frail looking. It dawned on me that this little girl could only be ten...and I know that was what made me realize why this girl looked familiar. My mouth popped open. Tears burdened my eyes.

"Feenix?" I whispered. Annesonte smiled, and I knew I was right on the dot; this little girl was my sister.

But how was that even possible?

"It's time you learned about Sanctians, Kairi," Annesonte said.

"Sanctians?" Kiyo and Yoru mirrored each other. And that's when the most confusing explanation that had ever existed. Annesonte said that some Humans in the Human World were blessed with Sanctians. Sanctians were simply Humans that live in the Sanctuary. You'd think that was simple enough, right? It's never that simple. Some Sanctians were born with corresponding Humans in the Human World. These Sanctians and Humans are connected, and can create a bridge to swap bodies, leaving the Humans in the Sanctuary and the Sanctians in the Human World. It's thought that Humans are the only ones allowed to have Sanctians, and not all Humans need Sanctians to go to the Sanctuary. Annesonte was my little sister, Feenix's Sanctian.

"You're my sister," I said after several moments of letting the new information sink in.

"Yes, Annesonte Fatewin," she said with a small smile. I grinned, unable to wrap my mind around the thought.

"So, are you kids ready to spend some time around town?" Justuo's voice came from the stairwell and Mizu's floated after it.

"We are _not_ kids, Justuo!" she snapped.

"Yea, jerk!" Yami agreed.

"You act like it," Aki came in.

"Shut up! You guys are mean," Mizu said as they descended the stairs with the rest of Avalanche. "Let's go hang out with Cheshire, Yami."

I knew I'd have some explaining to do to them later, but for now, Mizu was right. We were here for fun. We had people to meet that we'd known for years, and it wasn't going to get done with us sitting in Mary's living room.

"Are you ready?" Kiyo asked me. I glanced back at Annesonte before saying my good-byes and promising Mary we'd be back for dinner. Luckily, Yoru had some Sanctuary currency left over from her previous visits. We'd eat lunch out and come back to Mary's house for dinner. This weekend would be the best.

**I hope you enjoy this chapter, I know it took a long time, and I'm sorry. Give me reviews please! I need some inspiration! Thank you to all my fans that keep reading, I am forever grateful to all of you.**

7


	41. Once Lost

_**~Chapter Forty: Once Lost~**_

There was a group of boys that liked Yoru, but weren't lucky enough to have their love returned. They weren't close, but in my mind, they seemed to fit in a group together due to Yoru's rejection. Ace, a shirtless boy that used to be a pirate, used to sail the Sanctuary seas and oceans. He was nice, had freckles, and usually walked around shirtless with a pale complexion and an extremely attractive eight pack. Ace was always one of my favorite guys Yoru could've ended up with. We had called their love name _Aru_.

Wes, believe it or not, used to be a candidate for Yoru's love, too. His golden blond hair didn't capture Yoru's interest though. I remember Yomi telling me their love name was _Yes_. They actually had a whole phrase. "Say _Yes_ to Wes!"

Tsu, of course, like Yoru, but he was a pervert. He seemed to like everyone. He still had feeling for Yoru despite the fact that he was in a relationship with Lunallie. _Toru_ didn't have a chance.

Rai and Rein, two Demons that had a better chance at being with her because they were all three Demons, and very compatible for each other, were also in the running for Yoru's love. A long time ago, Yoru had told me she liked Rai. Literally the next day, Rein proposed his feelings to Yoru. They dated for about one day, and then, it was over. Yoru hasn't had a love interest since. I had called the love interests _Yorein _and _Yorai_.

Keeping this in mind, I watched how each of the guys Yoru once held the heart's of react to her return. Most were friendly, and kind. Wes and Rai had obviously gotten over Yoru. Tsu and Rein were still a bit…obsessive? Maybe that's not quite the word…

"Kairi, are you alright?" Kiyo asked, snapping me from my thoughts. My eyes focused on Nocturne's familiar face as he spoke to Rufus across the table. We were in a noodle shop, eating ramen, and talking amongst ourselves. Before eating, we had gone to several houses where our friends resided, visiting, catching up, and some of us, meeting for the first time.

"Yea, I'm fine. Happy," I said, offering a smile. She smiled in return before Justuo slid into the booth with Aki across from me and Kiyo. Their bowls were heaping full with streaming noodles, vegetables, egg, and maybe a dash of soy sauce, if any. "Jeez, you sure are taking advantage of the all-you-can-eat-buffet."

"Of course!" they said in unison. Kiyo and I shook our heads, and went back to eating our own dishes. Yoru and Yomi slid into the booth next to us, each carrying a bowl of their own specialized food.

"I always loved Sanctuary food," Yoru said, with a small smile towards her bowl of noodles.

"I know! But it's so expensive to buy the good stuff," Justuo said between shoveling noodles into his mouth. Kiyo shook her head in fake disapproval.

"You act like you haven't eaten in days," she teased.

"I haven't eaten anything _today_," he corrected.

"Oh my gosh, the guy that's making the sushi is _so_ cute," Mizu said as she and Yami came towards our table.

"Skye, Mizu," Yomi prompted with disapproval. "Skye."

"I know, I know," she said, sliding into the booth next to Aki and Justuo.

"God, Mizu," Aki complained. "You think everyone's hot."

"No! I do not!" Mizu complained.

"Whatever," Justuo said. The table laughed in unison. We left after the boys of Avi finished stuffing their faces. Then, we explored the outskirts of the town with several friends that lived in the village. Before we knew it, the sun had set, and we were walking back to Mary's house for dinner. All in all, it was a wonderful day.

Kiyo, Mizu, and I went to our room after dinner to get some rest after our long day.

"Thank you so much, Mary," I said sincerely. The weekend had passed faster than we realized and Sunday morning was upon us. It was noon, and we were already being pressed for time. Koru had convinced me that Cheshire and Tsu would be the cutest couple in the Sanctuary, and Annesonte had told me of our family members that had Sanctians. Mom and Dad both had Sanctians, apparently, but no one knew exactly where they were. I had also told my friends about Sanctians. Justuo said he was sure that Tobi would have information on them if I was really curious and wanted to do some research.

"I'll help you get past the forest near here, but I can't go much farther than that," Koru said as she walked ahead of us.

"That's fine, Koru," I said with a smile. "Thank you very much for your help."

"Sure thing! It was nice to meet you guys," Koru said, with a smile. Her tail twitched happily. "Maybe the next time you're around, we'll have some time to hang out."

"That sounds like a plan," Aki said. Koru began ticking off things that we could do with our next trip to the Sanctuary. By the time she was done, we had reached the end of the forest. We were saying our goodbyes afterwards. Then we were watching her disappear into the woods.

"She was so nice," Yomi said.

"She really was," Yami agreed, propping her elbow up on Yomi's shoulder and leaning against her.

"Can you girls make it back to the Portal without us being right by your side?" Prompto asked twirling one of his favorite handguns in his hand.

"We should be fine," Yoru said.

"Good, good," Serein said. "If you need our help, we'll be to your aid in seconds."

"Thank you," Yomi said sincerely. She always liked Serein more than the other members of Avi. "We appreciate it."

"See you later, kohai Kairi," Serein said with a smile. "Bye Mpopyya."

"Later, punks!" Aki and Justuo said in unison as the rest of Avi said their goodbyes as well. Then they jogged off, leaving us alone. Our servants weren't with us physically, but rather inside us. We didn't want to have to crowd onto the lions and ride home uncomfortable.

Kuroyasha, Shiroyasha, and Haiiroyasha appeared before us. Yami rode with Kiyo, Mizu rode with me, and Yomi rode with Yoru. We set off across the land, feeling that same windy breeze that flowed through our hair. Time on my lion seemed to stop. The worlds didn't exist. There was only Kuroyasha and me.

"It's so amazing to feel the wind on our faces again!" Kiyo called out loud. It brought me back to our group. "Can't we ride on forever?"

"I wish we could!" Mizu exclaimed.

"Maybe not forever, but it really is amazing," Yami said with her eyes closed. We rode forever until we saw the dark and ominous Portal that would get us to the Paranormal World. "There she blows!" Yami shouted in a fake pirate accent. Our group laughed as we dashed faster. We flew through the Portal, and the sensation of falling a great distance overcame me. Kuroyasha's paws hit the ground, and I felt gravity return to normal.

And we were off again. The wind felt amazing. The air was warmer than it had been since fall. The sun was high in the sky, warming the land and nurturing the plants beneath it.

"I can't wait to tell Ash everything we did!" Kiyo called.

"He's probably waiting right now," Yomi laughed.

"You know he is! He can't _wait_ to have his Kiyo back," Yami taunted.

"Oh no, he definitely can't," Mizu added.

"Shut up!" Kiyo said, blushing deeply. Yoru and I laughed with the others.

Suddenly, there was a pause before a cool chill filled the air. Kuroyasha seemed to slow to a walk due to this. The others slowed as well. Seconds later, Yomi spoke. "Something's wrong," she stated plainly.

"There's a presence," Kiyo added. The chill grew, and for a second, I expected the random guy in the white Ronin garb to run past us. I looked around expectantly, and dread consumed me. My surroundings were sickeningly familiar. My stomach went queasy, and my head spun with nausea.

"Guys, this…this is near where Misula died…" I swallowed in a vain attempt to dampen my now dry throat.

"Near?" Mizu asked softly. "Where'd she die, Hun?"

I closed my eyes to take a deep breath of fresh air. I opened them and glanced towards the shady forest of the Layra Province near us that Ren, Misula, and I had once snuck through. I pointed a now shaky finger towards the darkened shade of the trees. "Oh…" Yomi said, her eyes getting wide with surprise. "No wonder you look so shaken."

"Should we check it out?" Yoru wondered.

"Yes," Yomi and Kiyo said in unison.

"I don't like this…at all," Yami said as she fidgeted on the back of Kiyo's lion.

"Are you okay with going, Kairi?" Yoru asked. I nodded quickly, knowing if they were going, then I was definitely going too, no matter how many repressed memories I had there. "Let's go." We rode our lions to the edge of the forest before summoning them as weapons instead. Déjà vu set in when I led the way through the familiar trees.

The same soft moss beneath our soles made its quiet _squish_ noise. The only difference was the absence of the whispering voices that belonged to Hanashi and Shini. This gave me little confidence; the thick cold presence surrounding the forest was too unnerving. As we grew closer to the heart of the forest in this Layra Province, which I presume was about where Misula's death happened, I could feel the cold, chilling presence grow stronger.

And when we burst through the trees and landed in the grove where I watched one of my best friends die, my knees began to shake, and tears streaked my face. Flashbacks to the very day raced through my mind. Misula's smile and enthusiasm before our first real mission. Ren's disapproving attitude. Ryokua's first appearance. The ride here. Then the fight. Then the snakebite. And then Misula's death. The images flew by, stopping on the last one.

I automatically looked around the meadow to find the tree, half expecting to find her there, still hanging. But when my eyes landed on the tree, shock coursed through me. The tree was bare except for a blood stain that surely was Misula's. Ryokua's caw in my head made me realize the arrow wasn't even in the tree anymore.

Chills sprouted upon skin. "Kairi? Are you okay?" Kiyo asked looking between me, and the tree that my sight was fixated on. "What is it?"  
"That's where she died!" My voice was a whisper, full of terror. "But her body is gone, and the arrow is gone. Even if her body had been here, wouldn't there at least be bones?"

_Kairi, it's okay, I'm here,_ Lancer's voice said from inside my mind. I pursed my lips, but didn't reply. I took comfort in his words. They made me feel better.

A gasp from Yomi caught everyone's attention, including mine. Her hand was at her mouth by the time I had dragged my eyes to her. "There's someone here."

"I feel them, too," Kiyo whispered.

After long, sluggish moments that seemed to drag on forever, Yomi finally spoke. "It's Misula."

_Lady Misula?_ Ryokua's voice cawed in agony through my mind.

I think that about did it. My legs began to shake the few seconds that followed, I felt like I wasn't a Guardian at all, but rather a Protectant that needed a Guardian of their own. I bit my lip. No, this was not how it was supposed to be. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes before centering myself. I was the Guardian in this situation, and I needed to act like it.

"That can't be possible," I said, feeling myself become numb, quiet, and very Guardian-like.

"Are you sure?" Yoru asked. Mizu and Yami watched Yomi as if her words were their life line. Yami had pulled her gun out, and Mizu had summoned her katana. They were ready for a fight.

"Yes, positive. It has to be her," she said without a single doubtful word.

The fact that I felt eyes boring into my back made me turn around. My Guardian my slipped. Misula stood, perched and completely still, about fifty yards away. She was standing on a rock, staring right at us. My mouth dropped. "That's her…" I whispered.

_Misula…_ The name was a broken whisper of wind through my mind, brushing slightly at my conscious. Like the dark feathers that beat the wind when they flew, Ryokua's voice flew through my mind.

And all the same, everyone's eyes turned towards the direction. She was watching us, eerily. "Try to get into her head," I heard Yomi whisper to Kiyo. All eyes turned on her.

Only seconds passed before her face became confused. "It's…her, but there's something wrong with her. She's different." She paused before speaking again. "She's gone." My eyes shot to where Misula was seconds ago. I resisted the urge to throw up. Misula was gone. Her eerie silhouette was gone.

"I say we leave," Mizu said immediately.

"And I agree with Mizu," Yami added.

"I don't think we should look for her. Maybe it's just her spirit," Yoru replied.

"Whatever it is, I think we should tell Ash," Kiyo whispered.

"Then let's go," I said. And without a single word of refusal, we all left the Layra Province's cold woods. Once outside the cold, chilling place, we summoned our lions, and rode, putting as many miles between us and the creepy forested area as we could. No one spoke. I'm not sure how long we rode. The feeling of frozen time had fallen over us with the solemn silence of our group. I wondered briefly if Avi had seen what had happened in the forest.

A long silence stretched on forever until finally, bits of civilization became apparent. They were random buildings that were familiar. Zephyr was so close. I felt myself getting closer to safety. Ashu-Niisama would keep us away from whatever had messed with us. A part of me didn't believe it was Misula I had seen. How could it have been? I had seen her die. She was definitely dead…Ryokua was living proof of that.

It must have been some kind of trick, maybe magic or an illusion. Either way, what happened couldn't have been reality. The first thing that I'd be doing was talking to Ashu-Niisama. Kuroyasha dashed into the streets of Zephyr. She was in the lead of the other lions, as if showing my desperation to get to the castle.

The draw bridge was down, waiting for us to come home. I didn't hesitate to leap through it with Kuroyasha. Ashu-Niisama was waiting for us. He was right near the drawbridge. As soon as we were past the castle wall, I jumped from Kuroyasha's back, gaining several voices calling my name in concern. At some point in the time that I was in the air, Ryokua burst from my being, cawing that same agonized cry from before.

I stumbled when I hit the paved walkway but gained my footing before I fell. I crashed into Ashu-Niisama who was completely startled by the action. "Kairi? Why are you crying? What's wrong?"

I hadn't realized I was crying until that moment. Misula's life and friendship washed over me as if it were waves of an ocean. "Misula!" I choked out. "It's Misula!"

By this time, Yoru and Kiyo were by my side. "I _told_ you she wasn't okay," Kiyo was saying.

"You weren't telling me anything I didn't know," Yoru said after her.

"What happened? What about Misula?" Ash asked.

"She's alive! Or dead! Or something!" I gasped, tears streaming down my face. "We saw her in the grove where she died!"

"What? That isn't possible," Ash said, but hugged me anyways.

"Ash, it wasn't impossible. I saw her. I felt her mind," Kiyo whispered. "She was there."

"Yea, her presence was there, too," Yomi added.

"Let's get inside," Ash said, ushering me towards the castle. The others followed, Yami and Mizu included. Our lions remained outside, waiting for commands that wouldn't come for quite awhile.

"So you're telling me that you felt Misula's presence near the Layra Province? And it felt strange, almost like it had a Dark feel to it, Kiyo?" Ash's last question was directed to Kiyo. She nodded, a brow of confusion on her forehead.

"That doesn't make any sense," he said after a long time of silence. My eyes were red and puffy, but I had stopped crying over my friend's death. I sniffed occasionally. I felt like I was weak. Why would I cry because of someone's death? People die every day.

Ryokua sat on my shoulder, his beak and head pressed against my neck. Every so often, a soft cry emitted from him. I'd stroke his soft feathers in comfort before letting my hands rest in my lap. Ash continued speaking.

"There's a spell that can show us what happened to her body," Ashu-Niisama said. I nodded slowly before thinking about my next words, my reaction.

"I want Grace-Lilly to be there when we do it," I said, slowly. "And she should get a say in everything considering Misula was her appointed Guardian, even if she was still in training."

"I agree," Yomi said, immediately. "She had to grieve over Misula's death."

"Okay, that seems fair enough," Ash said after a moment of consideration. "We'll tell her then."

I nodded numbly. We were ushered out of the castle and into the Gardens. Ash led us to the Fountain of Dreams, one of the seven in the whole Gardens. It was fairly sized with foggy water in its pool. At the very top, mist rose and slowly descended back into the water like clouds. I watched as Ash sent Thunder, Grace-Lilly's boyfriend, to fetch her, and tell her of Misula. The wait for their return was long. I expected as much. Lilly was probably really upset.

But they did return. Her eyes were watery, bloodshot with sobs. She was wrapped in his arms, pressed against his chest while he stroked her hair softly. They were both very upset. The explosion of sadness that emitted from them wasn't easy to ignore.

"My lady," Ash said kindly.

"My lord," she replied.

"Are you sure you'd like to bear witness to Misula's death, Grace-Lilly?" Ash asked, concern showing in his voice.

"Show me my Guardian," Lilly asked after a very long time. I nodded in agreement.

"As you wish," Ash said. He faced the fountain's foggy pool. With several waves of his hands, I could already feel the magic resonance and pure power behind this spell. The waves of magic washed over us. Kiyo actually let out a gentle cry of pleasure at the joy that filled the air from Ashu-Niisama's magic.

The mist over the water separated, revealing a reflecting pool of water. On the surface, a perfect image that replicated the grove in which Misula died Déjà vu made my head spin. Hanashi and Shini stood there. It showed the three of us taking them on. Leo's appearance and his commands to get rid of my fellow Guardians and to bring me to him. Then my command for Lancer to take Ren home. I was cut by the sword, and Shini exploded, shifting to a new creature altogether.

Then Shini bit me as a snake. Misula's scream pierced the air, shattering my composure. Tears leaked down my face, and a sob bubbled in my throat. I swallowed it down before it could escape. I saw myself wincing, calling her name desperately. I fell. Misula's breath was rapid and short.

Everything that I saw in a blur before was clear for me this time. Hanashi's voice was sharp. The woods and Misula's face were both picture perfect, as if it had been recorded with a high definition camera and was now being played on a high definition television.

So when Lightning came into the grove, it took a lot of will power not to gasp at how clear and perfect his face was. His beauty was miraculous, and my tears began falling faster. For just a few seconds, I worried about the words Lightning and I exchanged before he bit me, but I realized how delirious I looked. No one would suspect me in such a state. My struggle against his grip helped to prove my innocence. But he stroked my cheek. I forced myself to look confused, as if to question the image in the fountain.

Hopefully, Ash would notice and right off any suspicions.

Everything from this point on was new to me. Lightning glanced at Misula and Ryokua before the magnificent bird flew away from his master and right into me. His words echoed in my head, remembering very clearly the exact wording and everything.

And quickly, almost in a hurry to save his own skin, Lightning stood with me. He took off running, leaving Misula pinned to the tree. I watched her. She was breathing. Very slightly. So slightly that I had to squint my eyes to see it. Time ticked by. It seemed like forever passed before Lightning reappeared back in the grove. I watched carefully.

Lightning's eyes scanned Misula, and realized she was indeed alive. For reassurance, my Vampire pressed his finger to her neck. "Just barely…" he breathed. There was hope in his voice. With quickness, he pulled the arrow from the tree, releasing Misula. She made a slight groaning noise as Lightning caught her.

"I'll take you home," he whispered. My heart wrenched; Lightning was the best person in all worlds. As he began across the grove, the image followed Misula's body. Suddenly, he froze. A wince crossed his face, and he spoke aloud. "The Guardian and her friend have perished, Master."

My eye brows shot up in surprise. There was a pause, as if someone else was talking before he continued. "If that is what you wish, Master." Lightning's face was drained of color and emotion. He turned the opposite direction and stepped into a portal that appeared before him and Misula.

The image on the water faded, reappearing in a throne room that I didn't recognize. When Elliot came into focus, I realized where Lightning had gone. Misula, weak and completely limp, lay in Lightning's arms as he approached the dark king.

"Here is the Guardian, as you wished, Master," Lightning said. His voice showed disappointment. I knew the voice he was using; it was a voice I'd heard so many times before.

"Very good, Lightning," Elliot said, with a nod of approval. "Take her to the infirmary before she's useless to us." My heart and gut twisted in unison.

_ No,_ I thought. But I was too late. Lightning had already bowed.

"As you wish, Master," he said in a monotone. The vision rippled before disappearing to clear water again. The fog began to creep over the pool. Ash threw his hand across the water in anger.

"How _dare_ he take my Guardian and corrupt her," he growled. Lilly's sobs were the next sound I heard. Her new Guardian, Iria Azarath, had joined us in the midst of the vision, and was now saying it'd be okay.

"My wretched brother," Thunder breathed. I found that I was also crying, along with several others in Mpopyya. Yomi and Kiyo were, too.

"Misula," I managed before Ryokua was bursting from me. His agony and sorrow, coupled with everyone else's sent me into a frenzy of hysterics. Lancer was the next person in my line of vision. He enveloped me in his arms, and I didn't even resist. His arms were strong, and he was my salvation. My eyes closed, and let every single person fade away except for Lancer and me.

"We'll get her back," I heard Ash vow. "We'll get her back very soon."

**I'm sorry for such a long delay. It's been rough with getting chapters done. Gomenasai, eh! Here's your chapter. Please enjoy! ~**_**KF**_

**Hey! It's the infamous Sensei Justuo! MWWWAHAHHAHHA this chapter good! So read read read people! Sayanara Kohai! **


	42. Guardian's Choice

_**~Chapter Forty-One: Guardian's Choice~**_

We were going to save Misula. Ash prepped us for a week, telling us that on Saturday, he, Avalanche, and several others in his inner circle were going with us to try and save Misula. Grace-Lilly had volunteered to go, but she was immediately rejected. She had never been trained to fight in her whole entire life. In her stead, she sent Iria, her new, very young Guardian that had been trained her whole life.

We'd be in groups. Ash, Skye, Rath, and Negative were in group one. Yoru, Justuo, Aki, and I were in group two. Prompto, Fayt, Yomi, Thunder, and Iria were in group three. Serein, Hana, Edge, and Tai were in group four. Mizu, Yami, Clover, and Nightmare would be group five. Group one would be leading the rescue. Group two would be following after, taking out the other waves of soldiers. Group three was our long range fighters. They'd cover us when were inside. Prompto, with his snipe gun, Fayt and Thunder, with their long distance magic and Fayt's bow and arrow skills, Yomi as a healer with Forgiveness, and Iria's ground combat in case of an ambush. Group four would be standing guard outside of our only exit. Tai's spells would prove useful in such a case. The last one, group five, would be away from the main fighting. They'd be everyone's back up. Yami and Mizu, being able to use lightning and water magic, had the upper hand. They'd be one of the main magical offenses.

Kiyo wasn't allowed to go. Justuo and Ash decreed this one together (a first.) This, of course, caused her to create uproar. Ash had told her it was best to stay with Fear and the others at the castle because the mission wasn't a deadly one, and with everyone that was going on the mission, we'd be fine. Kiyo didn't approve at all. She actually screamed at Ashu-Niisama and Justuo, both, telling them they were jerks and went as far as to actually say she hated the both of them. After she yelled at them, she slammed the door in their faces, vowing that she'd be strong enough to go one day.

I had to agree with Kiyo…If I were in her place, I'd scream and yell, too. Sadly, I'd be kicked off the mission if I were to sneak her with me. Instead, I just told her that I was really sorry, and agreed that they were both jerks.

On the day that of our mission, Kiyo made an appearance to wish everyone luck before slumping back to her room. We would be traveling by portal. Group three went first to take out any guards that would be waiting outside. Once Fayt connected with Justuo or Aki with an okay, group four would move in to stand guard and take out anyone else that may be hidden from group three's perch. Group five would be near Prompto's group, just in case they needed back up. Group one would then go into the castle, followed by my group. Yoru and I had strict orders to follow Justuo and Aki's lead; understandable considering the last time we snuck into Elliot's castle, it was reckless, stupid, and almost got everyone killed.

"Stay on task; don't let anyone persuade you from your path. Misula is the main objective. My group will be retrieving her," Rath was saying as the five portals appeared. Justuo and Aki stood in front of Yoru and me. Our portal was right in front of them.

"Group three can go," Ash said. Prompto, Fayt, Iria, Yomi, and Thunder nodded in unison before stepping through the portal. It stayed open; I'm sure they would all do that just in case of a retreat. I thought a quick good luck to Yomi as she walked through.

Seconds ticked by, but they felt like minutes to me. And when the seconds turned to minutes, they felt like hours. I waited for so long that by the time Justuo gave us the thumbs up, my legs were trembling and tired. Group four went through their portal; Serein, Hana, Edge, and Tai disappeared from our gathered ranks. Now we waited for the next clear. Mizu, Yami, Nightmare, and Clover waited, tense for battle. Mizu and Yami were a bit more fidgety, especially considering the fact that this was their first time in actual combat; another reason they were in group five.

Justuo gave them the clear, and Nightmare (holding Yami's hand) led the way into the portal. I whispered a good luck to Mizu and Yami before they were gone. This wait was much shorter, only seconds really. Group one left soon, leaving Justuo, Aki, Yoru, and me.

"You ready for some action, kohai?" Justuo teased.

"A bit nervous, really," I said, truthfully.

"You shouldn't be. It won't be much worse than when we did it the first time," Yoru said with a smirk.

"Yea, we heard about your infamous breakout," Aki said. "It surprised us to no end that you each survived. No offense."

"Truly, it was pure luck. Nothing more," Yoru stated.

"To tell you the truth, the only reason _I_ made it out alive was because of what Justuo taught me back in the Human World," I admitted.

"I taught you well, kid," Justuo said, ruffling my hair. I didn't much care, really. We were going into battle. What was the point of looking good? A thought occurred to me that made my cheeks warm. _Lightning is going to be there._

I glared at Justuo and quickly combed my fingers through my hair. "Don't mess my hair up!" I almost regretted saying it. Yoru and Justuo both realized what I had thought of the second they saw my flushed cheeks. Aki, on the other hand, was a little out of the loop. Thank god, Justuo didn't say anything else. I might have cried if he had.

"Time to go," Aki said after a silence that everyone found uncomfortable. At least I did…

We walked through the portal and fell into chaos.

The first thing I saw was blood. Sticky, warm, and pooling on the ground beneath my feet. I crinkled my nose in disgust.

"Kairi!" Edge called. I quickly looked up and saw him and Serein facing me. Hana and Tai were behind them, ready to throw spells and swing weapons.

"Get going, Kairi kohai!" Serein called over shouts and gun shots. I nodded, and turned. Yoru was waving me forward at the entrance. I guessed Aki and Justuo were already inside. With swift feet, I ran for Yoru, following her inside.

"Come on, girls!" Aki shouted from somewhere farther in the hall we were now in. The entrance they had chosen was one in the northern-most wing of the castle. It was the closest to the Guardian barracks, which is probably where Misula would be staying.

Yoru and I jogged to meet Aki and Justuo. Soldiers lay left and right, some dead and some only unconscious. I knew that Ash and his group probably did most of the damage. I rounded the corner with Yoru. Aki was throwing an enemy towards Justuo who engulfed him in a fiery hug, consuming him in flames and burning him to death.

"Pick it up, kohai," Justuo said, dropping the twitching and shouting figure. "We've got waves to take down."

"Yes sir!" I said quickly. He jogged forward, and I followed, giving him a right flank. Yoru flanked Aki on the left. The hallway came to a T-intersection of sorts. Justuo declared Aki and Yoru go left and we go right. Yoru and I, a little reluctant to split agreed due to our orders from Ashu-Niisama.

"Watch my back, Kairi," Justuo said as we jogged down the hall. I turned, readying fire at my fingers tips. We stopped at a left turn and discovered a long hallway, teeming with soldiers on the move. "Kairi, engulf yourself in flames!" he commanded. Without hesitation, fire licked my skin and covered the whole surface area of my body.

Justuo grabbed my arm and spun me around, really fast, before throwing me as hard as he could. I spiraled forward, head first. Automatically, I put my hands up to defend my face. I didn't have time to shout in surprise or whoop in adrenaline. I felt that I was slowing, and automatically curved forward. I hit the ground, rolling a few times until I used moment to land on my feet.

I extinguished the fire on my body as more troops came from the next corner. I guessed these were the Guardians of Elliot's castle due to their composed faces and attire. We were getting closer to the barracks. Kuroyasha formed in my hand, and I flew forward, not even glancing back to see the damage I had done, or the damage Justuo was doing.

I clashed a several, forgetting faces, genders, or even how old they looked. A took out about three or four before Justuo flanked me, and took out several more. "You did well on listening to orders, Kohai," he said simply, as if we were sitting at a dining room table instead of fighting our way through Elliot's castle.

"Thanks," I said, punching a heavy-set Guardian in the mouth. It stunned him for a second before he recovered.

"We should work on the move more; it could prove quite useful in situations like these," Justuo said, dodging another fist.

"I thought it was fun," I admitted mischievously. I took my next Guardian out, and turned, ready for the next one. But there were no more. I wiped the sweat from my brow, a little surprised that there were no more enemies.

"Let's move," Justuo said. I nodded my breath quick. "The Barracks have to be close."

"Of course, we couldn't bring Edge into the castle with us," I muttered as we ran again. Ashu-Niisama must've already found Misula. There's no way we could've made it this far and Ash and his group be behind us.

Unless they took the other fork in the hallway that Yoru and Aki had taken. My stomach twisted in discomfort. Ryokua mirrored this feeling.

"Kairi, hang a right!" Justuo called back to me. I took my next right, following him into a darker painted hall with dark brown carpet that contrasted deeply with the red and white of the other halls. We didn't stop for a décor change.

"She may be brainwashed, hypnotized, compelled, and even enticed, Kairi," Justuo was saying as we jogged. "But if she sees you or someone she remembers, it may bring her back. Your bird may help."

"Ryokua, come," I breathed. He broke free, landing on my shoulder. "Be ready," I told him. He cawed a reply.

"Kairi," a voice said. I skidded to a stop, heart tightening, breath becoming labored, mouth puckering.

"What do _you_ want?" Justuo snapped as Lightning came around the next corner. My eyes soaked in his messy black hair and fierce blue eyes, along with his cloak-like shirt and tight skinny jeans.

"To help," he said simply.

"He didn't want to take Misula here," I said, quickly, hoping Justuo would understand and _not_ try to kill my Lightning.

"We obviously don't need your help, Azarath," Justuo said in his all-business tone.

"Azarath?" I whispered. But my comment went ignored.

"Well I can tell you now, if you're looking for Misula, you're going the wrong way, Werdin," Lightning replied.

"Wait, what? Guys, stop! We can't fight right now!" I growled in frustration. Both of their attentions were drawn back to me. "What the hell is the beef between you two anyway?"

"Doesn't matter right now, love," Lightning said. Justuo glared at him. "Come back this way." He turned, and walked past us. I glanced to Justuo, remembering my vow to listen to his every command. He seemed irritated and very hesitant.

"Are we following him?" I asked, wishing so much that he'd say yes. Justuo growled in frustration.

"Kairi, if your parasitical boyfriend gets us captured, I'm telling Kiyo about your relationship," Justuo promised. I swallowed, trying to dampen my now dry throat. Before I could respond, however, Justuo had begun following Lightning down the hall. I followed in their pursuit.

I sped up to Lightning and took his hand, gaining a disapproving look from Justuo. I glanced back up to the path ahead guiltily. We retreated back through the darker hallways, and took a right into the red and white halls. As we passed, I noted lavish paintings of Trace, Elliot, and even Midnight. Some of them looked different, but my mind screamed who they were. I guess the ones that didn't look like them were probably them from past lives.

Other people were featured in these paintings, some I didn't even recognize. One stood out, though. A man in a cloak with electric blue eyes that pierced anyone who saw the painting. His dark hair was like a deep blue, but not like Kiyo's. Her hair was practically black, still keeping its exotic tones from the Human World. He had a pale complexion, and truthfully, looked hot. I noted this picture, and hid it away for future reference. I'd ask sensei or Lightning about it later.

"Here is the door to the Training Grounds. This one leads to the Barracks, where they stay at night, and usually around the clock. Misula should be inside," Lightning said, squeezing my hand in comfort. Had he seen the pain in my eyes at the mention of her? "She's not herself, Kairi. Please understand that I didn't…" I quickly cut him off.

"I know, I know, I know," I whispered. "I know you didn't want to. I'm sorry you had to. I forgive you, because I saw how reluctant you were."

"Saw?" he questioned.

"We don't have time for an explanation," Justuo said, but I could tell he was being considerate. He may not have liked the fact that we were dating in secret and I hadn't told Kiyo, but he did understand what it felt like to love someone. Even if it was someone you couldn't be with.

"Okay, later," I whispered to him. "Later." For some reason, I couldn't help the foggy edges of my mind making it harder for me to keep calm. It was like I was a child again, an innocent child that was trying to understand something that was too complicated for their maturity level to comprehend.

"Be strong, Kohai," Justuo said, sensing this. Lightning kissed my forehead.

"Yes, listen to your sensei. It'll be okay. I'll visit as soon as I can. Until then, please be careful. Be strong. I'll see what I can do to stall anyone who tries to stop you, or your allies." Lightning's devotion made tears pool in my eyes.

"Thank you so much," I whispered, leaning into his embrace.

"Go, quickly now," Lightning ushered me back towards Justuo. "Be careful."

"You, too!" I said quickly as he began to run away. I watched his retreating figure.

"Come on, Kairi," Justuo said, grabbing my shoulder. I nodded, turned, and followed him to the Guardian Barracks door. I summoned fire to my fingers, and Justuo slammed the door open. A lone, empty hall stretched before us. Doors lined either sides, and they seemed to go on forever.

"Search for Misula's," Justuo said. I nodded, and ran forward. I completely ignored all names except for Misula Diani, or simply Diani, maybe even Guardian Diani. After thirty doors, I was getting fidgety.

"Kairi, they're in alphabetic order," Justuo called. I stopped looking through the B's and took off running father, almost frantic to get to _Diani_.

_D. Da. De. Dh. Di! Diani!_

I froze in front of the door. It was a simple brown door like all the others. Written on a small plaque-like strip that was screwed into the door was _Guardian Diani, Misula._ It was so normal that I forgot we were in Elliot's Castle. So normal that I almost forgot we were in another world.

"I found it," I whispered. "I found it, sensei." Justuo was by my side in seconds.

"Good job, Kairi," he said. "Ready?" I nodded numbly, trying to forget all emotions, to make them all go away. Justuo kicked the door in, slamming it back into the wall with a loud crash.

"Trace, I swear to the Fates if you do that shit one more time..!" My heart wrenched when Misula's voice was the one talking. Inside the room, all the walls were pale blue. A simple twin sized bed was placed in the farthest right corner of the fairly sized room. To the left of the bed was a dresser, simply and small, only big enough for a week of clothing. No doubt at the end of the week, they'd get a new set of clothes. Or at least all of their clothes would be washed and returned.

Misula sat on the bed, eyes wide as she took us in, obviously expecting Trace to be the one to have burst into her room. Had they had an affair? I tried to clear my mind, to keep my emotions blank, as well as my face.

"You…?" Misula's face showed confusion for several moments before turning to humor, dark humor, a twisted kind of expression that didn't seem right on Misula's face. "What are _you_ doing here, Kairi?"

"Here to save you." I didn't even recognize my own voice. It was all Guardian, all business, and absolutely blank of emotion. The exact opposite of how I felt.

"Save me, eh? Hah! As if I needed it! You were too busy to save me before. Obviously, you don't care," Misula snapped. Her voice was harsh with sarcasm, very unfamiliar.

"I couldn't. I was dying. So were you. And so was Ren," I replied evenly. Ryokua cawed, which made Misula's head snap in his direction. I had all but forgotten him. Misula's expression changed then, crumpling pain. I stepped into her room; disapproval was clear in Justuo's shifting in stance. He didn't try to stop me though.

"Is that…my Ryokua?" Misula whispered.

"Yes, it's Ryokua," I said, softly. She stood, too, and Justuo readied himself for a fight. I tensed, but made no physical movement other than that.

"I want him back!" she said, anger appearing in her eyes.

"You can have him back if you come home," I said, fierceness returning to my voice.

"He's mine! I'm the one that gave him to you! I can have him back whenever I want!" she snarled, stepping forward.

"Step back, Misula," Justuo said. "You're going to regret your next choice. You'll never be able to see Grace-Lilly again."

At the mere mention of Misula's old protectant, she broke. She fell to the ground, pain so clear in her being that it was almost tangible in the air. Justuo took advantage of this opportunity and pushed past me.

"Lilly…," she whispered. "She…is she okay?"

"She's fine. Safe. She misses you," Justuo whispered to her. I could feel the cold chill of Darkness as it manifested in Justuo's voice and presence. I shuddered, but Misula seemed completely at ease by it.

"She…misses me?"

"Yes. She needs you, Misula," Justuo's voice was a velvet purr, laced with death itself.

"I…I…need her, too," she said softly. Justuo had eased her into his arms, and her body seemed to have gone limp.

"Rest. You'll be fine," Justuo said. And Misula was unconscious as quickly as that. I didn't say a word. I didn't even breathe. He stood with her in his arms, his eyes retaining a little bit of the Darkness from before.

"Is she…?" I began, too scared to finish.

"Unconscious. I drained her energy. Darkness does that to a person. She's different, though. She's used to it," Justuo stated, coldly. I was waiting for warmth to return to his voice, waiting for him to become Sensei-Justuo instead of the cold, calculative Justuo. This Justuo was living proof of the Angel we had all heard so much about.

"Let's go. I've informed Avalanche that Misula is in our possession," he said. I nodded quickly, wanting to get the hell out of here, and right now. He led the way, both of us jogging. My thoughts returned to my Lightning. His soft skin, his gentle eyes, his messy black hair. The thought of him twisted my stomach.

"What's wrong?" Justuo asked immediately. My eyes widened in surprise.

"Why would something be wrong?" I asked, giving a small smile. We back tracked out path, passing the darker hallway to our left where Lightning had led us from.

"You're an open book." His voice was returning to normal. In the back of my head, I wondered how high of a level he had gone when he used Darkness. He couldn't have gone too high…not nearly close to Dark Angel.

Right?

_For his sake, he better not have,_ Lancer thought. I didn't say anything to reply. I had to concentrate on getting out of this god forsaken castle.

"I am not!" I said, making myself look flustered. I was pretending a lot this week.

Justuo was silent, and we continued jogging through the hall, turning and snaking through it like a maze. When we broke free of the never-ending halls and into fresh air, it was like a huge burdened had been lifted from my chest. It was almost like a sense of claustrophobia lifting, even though I wasn't claustrophobic.

"Where's Ash?" Edge asked as soon as we came out. He was the first person we saw. Hana, Serein, and Tai were nowhere to be found.

"Hasn't his group come back?" I asked, slightly breathless.

"No, we thought you'd stick together," Edge asked, looking slightly alarmed.

"He may be with Aki," Justuo replied with no hesitation. Seconds passed before he shook his head. "No, he's not. Aki and Yoru are going to look for them before coming out."

"What?" I demanded. Worry instantly consumed me. Yoru in Elliot's castle? No!

Yoru's Point of View

"Ah, Yoru, you impudent child," Elliot said. I kept my face blank. There was no point in showing weakness to this man. He had done everything in his power to destroy us, and I would not show weakness to him.

"Hello again," I said, smirking. "How've you been?" Midnight tightened her vise grip on my hands and shoved them higher. I didn't wince at the aching pain in my arms and shoulders.

"Quite well, actually," Elliot said, clear of all humor. Aki was pinned to the wall with Trace's nails digging into the back of his neck. I could see the blood seeping down his back. He also showed no pain. The blood taunted my Demon senses, asking to be released. But I didn't let them have their way.

"You're blood is such a paradox," Trace mused. "The sweet perfume of deadly poison."

"Wanna taste it and find out what happens, you fucking parasite?" Aki snapped. I saw him clench his teeth as Trace's claws sank deeper into his neck.

"You want to keep talking shit and find out what happens?"

"What do you want from us, Elliot?" I asked to stop further banter and further wounds to Aki from his sharp mouth.

"Don't call me that, you childish brat. I do believe it is you who trespass in my kingdom, not the other way around." Elliot's cold eyes were merciless. I knew that Ash needed to hurry up and help us out here. Darkness, from Trace I presumed, pooled around the room. It wasn't uncomfortable for me. It actually was a comfort. But the Darkness was growing stronger in essence. A magical resonance blasted through the room, sweeping through it like water bursting from a dam.

"Ah, my kohai," Trace almost purred.

"Brother," Aki whispered. Screams of what could only be pure agony came from just outside the throne room. I knew Justuo would burst through the door any moment. Trace tossed Aki aside, but he recovered instantly. Then a huge explosion shook the room. Midnight was suddenly gone, probably cowering in fear somewhere.

I stretched my cramped up arm out before turning to face the fight breaking out in front of us. Justuo, slightly animalistic-looking, stood in all his glory. Darkness was so clear in his stance and form that it was like it was his very being.

"Justuo," Trace smirked. "You've returned, along with Yoru. Traitorous little bastards, I'd say." I watched Trace sniff the blood on his fingers. Justuo's eyes widened as he realized what exactly had happened. They landed on Aki's neck and the wounds that lay there. "Venom is as poisonous to a Feavii as their blood is to a Vampire. Such extremities Mother Nature did take."

When I say "all hell broke loose" I very well mean those words.

"Justuo, no!" Aki yelled. It was too late. Justuo's already reddened eyes became even redder, mixing with purple. An aura arced around him.

"Let's go then!" Trace yelled, anticipation burning in his voice. His eyes were bloody red, his fangs were exposed. Darkness, intense and over-powering for any Human, seemed to drown the room. I quickly turned to get some distance from the two soon-to-be angels. Screams of agony pierced the air, and I turned just in time to see feathers burst from their backs, almost simultaneously.

It took my breath away. There was no way in all worlds that they were Trace and Justuo. I'm not one for looks. I could care less about what somebody looks like, but their features seemed _perfect._ No other word than 'beautiful' could be used in describing them.

Elliot seemed amused; one-hundred percent amused. His sick humor didn't fail to make an appearance. It always seemed to peek its ugly head out at the most morbid of moments. The angels drew back my attention.

Trace sent a blast of powerful Darkness flying through the air towards Justuo. He knocked it aside with his wings, and it hit the wall, bursting and scorching it with dark power. Justuo then whipped out fire like it was an extension of his body, his soul. The gravity around the two angels became intense. Fire flew past Trace, singeing his wings slightly. This didn't stop either of them. They darted forward, physical power kicking into play. The radiance of their magic burned the whole room.

Aki, still pinned to the wall from Elliot's telekinesis magic, shot icy darts towards Trace. His wings became a barrier to both a kick from Justuo and the ice shards. "Elliot, stop this madness!" I shouted. The walls cracked and rubble crumpled as Justuo and Trace beat each other to a pulp. "They aren't a form of entertainment for you!" I suddenly slammed into the wall by an unseen force. Elliot's doing, no doubt. I felt as if I were being squeezed tightly in between two walls. A painful experience, I admit.

"Silence, child of hell." There was nothing I could do but watch. Busted lips, blackened flesh from bruises, and swollen extremities were scattered around each of the angels. I wished Ash would stop this madness.

Death in both the angels' eyes showed brightly. Insults, small and choppy, were through from each of their mouths, sounding like soft music rather than Death's voice.

"Kohai, show me what I've taught you," Trace once said, but his voice was perfect. Utterly flawless. I knew if Kairi had heard it, she would think it was hot.

"You taught me how to waste my life!" Justuo countered, again sounding more like a harp in the garden than death personified. I watched their endless dispute, waiting for one to fall. But neither did. It felt like hours, but could've only been minutes. Blood soaked the floor like spilt paint, and Kuroyaku tingled inside of me, dying to break free and allow me to succumb to my senses. But like the strong-willed angels who beckoned to be succumbed to death, I refused to give in.

Feathers flew, blood splattered, and columns lay in broken piles. This insanity needed to end.

Kairi's Point of View

After Justuo ran back into the castle, it was only a matter of time before I began to panic. Edge gave Thunder the okay to switch out with Tai so he could take care of Misula. In the panic of my inner turmoil, Hana and Serein showed up, solemn, almost grief-stricken. Due to their expression, I didn't even wonder where they had been or for what reason.

"What the hell is going on?" I whispered to Serein. She slowly shook her head, as if the news was too bad for me to know. "Tell me."

"They've both gone black angel. They're trying to kill each other."

There's a point where I snap. It takes a lot to push me past that point. Serein's news just about pushed me there. But the additional information that she gave about not knowing where Ash and his group were, is really what shoved me over the edge.

"I'm going in. My group is in there, and my brother is, too. Take care of Misula." I was already storming towards the entrance when Serein caught my shoulder.

"Ash can take care of this," she said, sincerely.

"Yoru is in there!" I growled in frustration. "If she's near them in dark angel, she could be in some seriously deep shit. She has a weakness for Darkness. Too much exposure to it will send her into her Demon state! And three years ago, I swore I'd never let her do it again." My voice was fierce and steady despite the bubbling hysteria inside me.

Serein glanced back at Hana standing a few feet from Edge and Thunder. "Fayt and Hana will go with you, then," she finally sighed. And that was that. It didn't take long for Fayt to get down to us. Truthfully, I was so adrenaline pumped and focused on the issue at hand that I couldn't remember who was in what group.

When Fayt came jogging up, Serein gave him a hug. It was intimate and reminded me that they had a thing for each other. I'd seen it over the past few weeks, but usually didn't take note of it. "Be careful, will you?" Serein said.

"Yea of course. No need to worry," Fayt said. He pecked her on the cheek before taking the lead for Hana and me.

"Do you know where you're going?" Hana asked after a little ways into the castle.

"Not really. It's not hard to track Justuo's scent, and his Darkness. Aki's and Yoru's scents are both here as well. Kairi's is faintly here."

We came to the split, and Fayt stopped. "Left," I said as he paused in the middle of the forked hallways.

"You're sure?" Fayt asked. I nodded without hesitation, replaying the moments of Justuo and me running down the right hallway. "Then let's go."

"Right," Hana agreed, pulling a gun from her strange little portal she always pulled weapons from. I'd ask Justuo for details on that later.

"Ash," Fayt said, suddenly. My attention jerked to him.

"He's in the throne room now," Hana continued in his stead. I didn't bother looking at her. My steady jog turned into a full sprint.

_What the heck is going on?_ Yomi screamed in my head._ Where's Negative?_

_I'm trying to find out!_ I answered.

_And what about Ash?_ Kiyo's mental distress entered the chaos that was my mind.

_He's in the throne room with Justuo and Trace. They're fighting. Yoru is in there!_

_Get in there _now! Yomi shouted. And I did.

I saw the throne room doors opened. Inside, I saw Elliot on his throne. The place was a wreck with columns and rubble lying strewn upon the floor. Puddles of blood were everywhere. As I grew closer to the throne room, the pit of my stomach lurched; Darkness like never before was swarming and flooding from the opened doors.

I swallowed and continued towards the doors. When I reached them, it was as if a storm had just concluded. Feathers floated softly in the air. Ash was gone, and I could see, just barely, the remnants of a portal that had just closed. Justuo was nowhere in sight. Elliot sat on his throne. Trace lay on the ground with the very last traces of what I thought were his black wings fading away. Cuts, bruises, blood, and burns lined his body. A tinge of sympathy tainted my emotions.

Negative was helping Yoru up from the ground near the wall. Aki was there, too, but his neck and clothes were bloody around his abdomen. I could see deep wounds in the back of his neck. Rath was supporting Skye. My mind spun at the sight of my brother, weak and limping, pain written all over his face.

My mind block was pierced, suddenly, and I winced at sharp, prompt words that belonged to Ash. _Retreat, now! Get back to the castle as soon as possible._ It was over as soon as it had happened.

My eyes found Rath, who was frantically moving to make a portal before Elliot could do something crazy that would stop us from leaving. I quickly ran to help Negative with Yoru. "You go with Rath," I said urgently. He nodded stiffly before going to Skye's aid.

Yoru stood by herself. "Come on, Aki!" she called. He was already jogging for the hallway. Fayt and Hana followed in pursuit. I glanced back once at Trace's limp figure that seemed to barely breathe. _Inhumane_, I thought. _But of course, none of them are Humans._

Ash's Point of View

Justuo's squirming figure thrashed in my vice grip. We had landed in my own throne room. It was best to get those two away from each other as soon as possible. He struggled against me, and I seized him by the shoulder, slamming him into the wall that held the portrait of my mother and father. He grunted.

"Do not try to fight me, because you will die, and if you die, how are you supposed to take care of Kiyo?" I said quietly. I knew it would have come across as deadly to anyone, even a mindless dark angel that couldn't put two thoughts together because of the corrupt Darkness within him. He seemed to stop struggling, and his breath was rapid.

"Can I trust you enough to let go of you?" I asked after a few moments. Justuo moved his mouth to speak, but found it hard.

"Yes…" he managed. I released my crushing grip on his shoulder, and he slumped slightly, as if in forfeit.

"Come on," I said, turning. "To the infirmary. I'll contact Tobi." Tobi might as well have been a father to Avalanche in their time of need. He was also conducting research on Justuo's dark angel. Oh what he would've given to have Trace in his research as well.

Justuo followed me from the throne room, limping and weak. I considered help him, but thought better of it. He was probably still crazy with emotional distress. My mind turned to my inner circle, Avalanche, Mpopyya, and Misula. I wondered if they had made it back safely, but knew I couldn't know for sure until I'd gotten Justuo to the infirmary.

Halfway there, I felt his magical resonance flare. I turned just in time to see him collapsing. I quickly supported his wait. He seemed barely conscious. His wings acted like anchors, limp and heavy on his back. He and Trace had almost killed one another. I slowed my pace so that he could walk easier.

Upon arriving at the infirmary, I was greeted my Aki, Fayt, and Tobi. Fayt quickly slipped under Justuo's other arm to help take his weight off of his legs. "Get him to a bed, quickly. He's not conscious," I ordered. Aki and I switched out positions, and I led Tobi and the others to the back room we had Yoru recover in when the girls first arrived to the other worlds. It was a complex, almost ER type of room. We only used these for emergencies.

Lia, one of our advanced nurses, came into the large room to help get Justuo what he needed. I watched solemnly for several minutes before sighing.

"I have to check on the others. Keep me posted. Aki, where are Kiyo and Yoru?" I asked before moving.

"They're with Kiyo. I'm sure they're trying to fill her in," Aki replied, but his eyes didn't leave his brother.

"Do you know if Yomi, Mizu, Yami, or the other made it back safely?"

"I couldn't say for sure," he replied. I nodded before turning from the gruesome sight to leave the infirmary and find the others.

Kairi's Point of View

"Are they okay?" Kiyo asked immediately.

"I have no idea. Justuo was standing, but he looked terrible. He had blood and wounds all over him. They tore Elliot's throne room up pretty good, too," Yoru said.

"And Trace?" Kiyo asked hesitantly.

"I didn't pay much mind," Yoru said.

"He was unconscious. By the time I saw him, he was back to normal, though. No wings," I muttered. "We really need to find Yomi, Mizu, and Yami."

"I don't know if they've gotten back yet," Yoru said.

"If they aren't, then they could be in danger!" Kiyo said, a bit panicked.

"And I don't even know where Skye is. He was really hurt when I saw him," I said, worry lacing my voice.

"Hmph. Serves him right," Kiyo mumbled under her breath. Anger flared in me.

"He could die!" I growled.

"He hates me for an accident!" she countered.

"Well, fighting isn't going to get us anywhere," Yoru said. "We need to see who's come back."

Just about then, the door to Kiyo's room slammed open. I jumped slightly at the loud noise, and turned to see who had walked in on us. Yami and Mizu stood there, looking a bit breathless. Nightmare was behind them. I guessed that Tai had returned with them, but had gone separate ways.

"Where the fuck is Skye?" Mizu demanded. My eyes widened, and I realized this wasn't going to end well, for her, whoever broke the news to her, or whoever hurt Skye in the first place.

"That's a good question," I said quickly. "I'm not really sure."

"Wasn't he with Ash? I just saw Ash walking down the hall," Mizu said, her voice dead cold.

I glanced to Yoru and Kiyo before jumping to my feet. Kiyo was only seconds behind me. "You saw Ash? Where, and which way? Did Tai come back okay? Have you seen Yomi or the others in her group?" I machine-gunned questions at her like she was target practice.

"I don't fucking know, Kairi! Last I heard was that you, Fayt, and Hana stormed into the castle after Justuo because no one knew where Ash or his group was. I didn't get to talk to Ash, either, so I have _no_ idea what the hell is going on!" Mizu's voice quaked with anger, and tears were dangerously close to spilling out of her eyes. Yami put an arm around her shoulders to try and comfort her.

"Well neither do I Mizu," I spat, slowly pronouncing each and every syllable with unneeded stress.

"Calm down!" Kiyo shouted as Mizu was about to make a comeback. "Fighting will get us _nowhere_!" He reasoning mirrored Yoru's earlier reason.

"Look, Kiyo's right," Yami jumped in. "Screaming at each other won't make things any better." Yami's cool composure was slipping. Nightmare, sensing this, automatically put an arm around her shoulders, as if to give her strength. She released Mizu, and leaned into Nightmare's touch.

"Let's find Ash. Or go to the infirmary," I muttered, trying to mute my frustration out of my words.

"Yea. Okay. Let's go," Mizu mumbled. We left Kiyo's room, and began the search for salvation of the mind.

* * *

**What do you think? Mpopyya's getting a little snappy with each other. Is it all that stress or something bigger than that? Lemme know what you think! And by the way, this chapter would've been out WAY sooner if my laptop hadn't broken. -_- Inconveniences these days. Leave reviews, please! And, as always, enjoy! ~KF**


	43. Coming Around

_**~Chapter Forty-Two: Coming Around~**_

Thunder's Point of View

I carried the unconscious Guardian close, knowing how much she meant to Lilly. She was heavily unconscious, as if no energy was left within her. I wondered slightly if she was mentally hurt. Justuo had been the one to put her under the mental coma. Last I had heard, though, was that he had gone into his dark angel state and was now unstable in the hospital.

I settled for finding Ash, and getting answers. He would want to take care of Misula anyway. Iria had run to meet Lilly and tell her everyone had returned safely, including Misula. Prompto and Hana had met up as soon as we had arrived back through the portal. Edge and Tai went to aid Rath, Negative, and Skye, who supposedly had been wounded by one of the dark angels. As for Mpopyya, all I knew was Yomi had ran to meet with them before going to meet with Negative. Afterwards, I'm sure she planned to go to Grace-Lilly as well.

As I walked down the corridor, Ash turned came around the corner. "Lord Ash," I said, quickly closing the space between us. "Is she okay?" I asked, handing her to him.

Ash took her easily, and laid a hand on her forehead. "Unconscious, obviously," he murmured. "Weak and turmoil everywhere. Her mind is chaotic."

"Will she be alright?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned and began to walk. I followed next to him.

"She should be fine. She needs rest. We'll go to the infirmary and see what happens from there," Ash muttered. "Did your group get back alright?"

"Yes. We met up with group three and left together," I replied. He nodded as we walked.

The infirmary was crawling with inner circle members and members of Mpopyya and Avalanche. Kairi, Kiyo, Yoru, and Yami were just arriving with Nightmare. Clover and Lea were with Skye, assessing him for injury. Mizu hadn't seen him quite yet, and I had a feeling that it wouldn't end well if she did.

"Ash," Rath called out in recognition. Kiyo and Kairi turned at his name. Their faces lit up at his sight; they were probably both in the dark. Edge, Negative, Tai, Rath, and Clover were gathered around Skye's bed.

"He needs space!" Lea called out. Some of the din in the infirmary quieted from her call. Rath jogged to our side as the others near Skye's bed stepped back. This gave Mizu a clear bird's eye view of Skye. I winced at her shriek that filled the air.

"Skye?" she shouted. She stormed to his bed side, despite the now loose circle around him. Lea glanced up at her. Yami had caught up to Mizu; Nightmare followed in her pursuit just as quickly.

"Mizu, he'll be okay," Lea said, nodding. "He's just a little bit hurt. I'm going to try and fix his boo-boo." That adorable Phoenix could make Elliot himself melt. I turned my attention back to Ash and Yoru, Kiyo, and Kairi.

"How's Justuo?" Kiyo asked, worry showing on her face.

"I'm not sure," Ash said in honesty.

"Yoru!" Yomi's voice called. I glanced back as the sixth member of Mpopyya jogged in. She crashed into her fellow members, worry so strong within her I could almost smell it in the air.

"You're okay!" Kairi breathed as she hugged her tightly.

"Where's Negative?" Yomi demanded. "And Mizu and Yami?"

"They're with Skye. He's been hurt," Kairi replied uneasily. Without further questioning, she made her way through the madness that had enveloped the infirmary. Other members with minor wounds helped with the people that had major wounds. Ash and I made our way to an empty bed for Misula.

"When things calm down, I want you to bring Grace-Lilly and Iria down to the infirmary. Ask first. Always ask. See if she'd like to watch her wake up," Ash said. I nodded in agreement, beyond words at this point. I couldn't keep up with all the chaos of the infirmary, and decided, instead, to check in on my brother and his predicament. It was nice to slip into somebody else's mind. Of course, if he was willing to let me in…

And he was. For once.

Lightning was walking down the hall, towards the throne room for questioning of the event of our break in. Elliot didn't much seem to mind we had come in, and only taken Misula. He seemed to have been far more worried of other precious things in the castle than a mere Guardian girl. Maybe she wasn't worth his time and worry.

Lightning kneeled in front of his throne among pieces of broken marble and stone from fallen pillars and cracked walls, and said some kind of strange pledge about Elliot being almighty. I didn't remember much of it, especially after my escape of the place. And the questioning began.

"Who did you see, Lightning?" Elliot asked.

"Kairi and Justuo, Master Elliot," he replied curtly. My senses turned on high alert.

"What happened? And how did they manage to subdue you?"

"Justuo and I are tied in strength, but he had the Guardian's help. I was at a disadvantage when we fought, master," he replied. The word master tasted bitter in his mouth. His thoughts also contradicted his words. Flashes of Kairi following after him trailed his mind. And confusion clouded mine.

"And you lost them?" Elliot asked with an eyebrow raised. It was as if he didn't quite believe his story. He always had doubt in his mind, and with Lightning being a Vampire, I could see why. We had a very good sense of smell.

"Yes, master. I'm sorry, master," Lightning said, looking down as if to bow his head. "I've failed you again."

"Leave, then. This is not such a bad loss. Go see to it that Trace is still alive. Help in any way you can," Elliot dismissed him.

"Of course, Master Elliot," Lightning said quickly. He rose, and left quickly, deciding it would be best to see to Trace's wounds, and see if the nurses had done anything to help him regain consciousness.

He then confronted me as well. _Wonderful, isn't it? How this hell hole treats their closest allies._

_Brother, you've lied to him,_ I managed to think.

_Ignorant child. You're my same age, and you're still not wise. Elliot doesn't need the whole truth_, he scoffed.

_Why'd you help Kairi and Justuo?_ I finally asked.

_For my own reasons, and mine alone. Any more questions that piss me off and you're out of my mind sooner._ I didn't reply. My thoughts turned the idea of Lightning helping Kairi and her teacher over and over, trying to decode its meaning.

Lightning had reached the infirmary by the time I started tuning in again. The sick sight before me made my stomach churn. Trace bloody from wounds and gashes all over him lay weak and panting. His eyes were closed, and Lightning assumed he was still unconscious. Small tubes of different liquid, some being red and some being clear, led to Trace's arms and poked into his flesh. I physically shuddered at the sight.

"How is he?" Lightning asked, sounding a little doubtful.

A young looking nurse with blond hair and glasses glanced down at him. "We aren't for sure. He seems to have slipped into some kind of mental coma. We're trying to wake him, but the best thing to do is to wait for him to heal."

"I could help," Lightning said reluctantly.

"How so?" the girl asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I am a Vampire. The blood running through my veins has healing purposes on another Vampire. Allow me to let him feed from me, and he may recover much faster." Lightning's words surprised me. He had offered his blood to save Trace, a nuisance that had looked down upon him and treated him like he was trash under his feet ever since they'd met. My brother never made sense to me.

"Do as you wish, my lord," the girl said, bowing. Her blond hair fell in sheets as she bowed. Lightning rolled up his sleeve without hesitation. I remembered then that Trace had been his teacher at one point; for a really long time, he relied on Trace to stay alive. As had Justuo though.

There was no hesitation, and at that moment, even though Lightning was hiding it, I knew he loved Trace like a student loves their teacher. There was a bond that held them together that was strong, but he'd never admit to it. It gave me the chill bumps. He'd die for Trace.

Maybe that was a little dramatic. He'd do a lot for Trace, including feed him his own blood to make sure he survived. Lightning bit his wrist deeply; pain only radiated for a short while as Lightning pushed his wrist into Trace mouth. There was no response at first. Actually, there was no response for awhile.

Lightning found Trace's exposed fangs and slipped them into his own wounds. And he waited. After a good bit of time, Trace's mouth clenched down onto Lightning's wrist. He winced slightly, but didn't pull away. "Help yourself, _Senshou_," Lightning breathed. _Senshou_ rang a bell in my head, but I couldn't remember where I'd heard before, or its meaning.

Trace's eyes opened slightly, showing barely any of his red iris and black pupil. They glanced up at his student long enough to realize what was happening. He then closed his eyes in bliss. I knew that sweet taste of another Vampire's blood. It was unlike any other blood I'd tasted. But it was rare. Vampires usually never drank from each other.

"Thunder?" Grace-Lilly's voice rang in my own ears. My vision focused in on her close proximity. Iria was near her. Lilly was bent down to my eye level. I blinked before pulling her close to me.

"Hey," I said softly. Her eyes were red with tears with a moist, sticky face as more evidence to her earlier sobs. "Baby, are you okay?" I asked, concern automatically filling me.

"I'm shaken is all," she breathed, circling my neck in her arms as I lifted her onto my lap. "She looks different. She looks so lifeless."

"I know, love, I know," I murmured as I stroked her hair gently. "But Ash said she'd be okay." She nodded without pulling back.

"She's stirring," Iria said from near us. "Be prepared for anything."

I noticed Yomi had walked to our small group and stood near us. Lilly pulled away from me to get a better view of Misula. She remained sitting on my lap. Misula's eyes fluttered open, and ten whole seconds passed before anything happened. Truthfully, I held my breath.

"Master..?" Misula whispered in confusion.

"Misula?" Lilly whispered. She jumped at the sound of her name. Her eyes flashed to Lilly before she immediately sat up, and began thrashing.

"What the fuck?" she yelled. "Where am I?"

"You're home," Ash said simply. Her wild eyes flashed to him before they became fevered.

"You! _You_ are here?" Misula demanded.

Shock coursed through my body. She tossed words at Lord Ash like he was a slave. "You're awake?" Kairi's voice entered the situation then, and soon, I saw her approaching figure. Her pink hair was a mess from the fight and the aftermath in the infirmary, but she still stood strong.

"And you," Misula's words were venom directed towards Kairi. "You and that other boy are the reason I'm here." This seemed to be no surprise to Kairi. Of course, it was a big surprise to the rest of us.

"You aren't glad to be back?" Ash asked.

"No! You left me to die!" Misula growled at Kairi.

"I was dying, too!" she countered. "I couldn't save you!"

"Misula, she couldn't help it," Lilly broke into their conversation before more could be said.

Her outraged eyes turned on Lilly, and I tensed for an onslaught of cruel words. "You aren't any better! You replaced me with her!" she shouted. Her finger pointed to Iria. The accusation made Lilly's face fall.

"I thought you were dead," she whispered. "I thought you were gone forever." Lilly's face became flushed, and tears had filled her eyes. They seemed to have affected Misula the most. Her face softened slightly.

"I wasn't. You should've known I'd never die easily." Her words were harsh, but her tone was softer than before.

"Misula, what the hell did they do to you?" Kairi whispered. He eyes turned cold again once they landed on her.

"Revived me. Fixed me. Trained me like never before! I was introduced to Darkness. Granted it took a long time for them to trust me, and I was interrogated daily for the first month, I was fairly happy."

Kairi looked uneasily at Misula, weary now. They had to have messed with her memories. Ash seemed to be under the same impression. The hatred radiating from Misula was unnatural. It had been placed there by someone.

Lilly had begun crying. I knew I had to get her away from her twisted Guardian. Iria knew this, too. She beckoned my leave, and I stood with Lilly in my arms, bridal style. Yomi followed us out the door, seeking to comfort her upset friend. I wasn't sure of what everybody else did afterwards.

Kairi's Point of View

"What are you doing to her?" I asked as Ash muttered something in a language I didn't understand. Misula was unconscious again. I wasn't sure how Ash had knocked her out, but she was laying limp with her eyes closed and her breathing even.

"I'm checking her memories, assessing the mental damage that has been done," Ash murmured. Kiyo was near him, sitting in a chair with her knees pulled to her chest. She was sickened with worry for Justuo. The room that held him inside was locked off to all outsiders. She wasn't the only one sick with worry. I couldn't show it, though. I had to be the strong one.

"Tell me if there's anything I can do to help," I said. I looked around the infirmary. Mizu was with Skye, naturally. Their fingers were intertwined, but it was obvious my brother still wasn't awake. Yami and Nightmare weren't far. She was leaning against him for support. The battle had exhausted us all. Yomi had run off with Thunder and Lilly. I wasn't sure where Yoru was, honestly. I had lost track of everyone in the past twenty minutes except for the five members of Mpopyya that were still in the infirmary.

"Of course, sister," Ash said, glancing at me. "But for now, you should go back to your room and rest up. It's been an extremely tiring day for everyone."

"I'll leave Lancer here. If anything happens, please have him tell me," I said, meeting his gaze steadily. He knew I meant with Justuo.

"You know I will. I'll see you soon, Kairi. Take Kiyo with you?" Ash whispered, glancing at Kiyo who hadn't heard. She still had her face buried in her knees. I nodded once. I walked around and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey," I said lightly. She didn't respond. "Let's leave this mess. We'll see Justuo tomorrow morning. He'll be okay." She let her feet down to the floor mechanically. She stood slowly, and I put an arm around her shoulders for support.

"I'll see you in the morning, Kiyo," Ash said, softly. She nodded, her pained eyes found his, and she spoke for the first time since we had arrived at the infirmary.

"Ash. Don't let him die. Please." Her words were frail, quiet, and weak. It made me shudder at how fragile she really was right then.

"I won't let him die. I swear it," Ash vowed. Kiyo nodded again, and forced a small smile.

"Good. I trust you," she said. Ash smiled at her as we turned to leave. I knew Mizu wouldn't be leaving the infirmary any time soon. Yami would, though. She would get tired, and probably retire to Nightmare's room with him.

When we reached the east wing hall that held our rooms, we paused at my door. "Do you want to sleep with me tonight?" I asked hesitantly.

"Ash isn't going to be in his room tonight…I don't want you to see me like this, Kairi," Kiyo whispered.

I scoffed. "Kiyo! I've seen you _worse_ than this! Don't give me that crap. Come on, you can stay with me tonight. Maybe we can cheer you up by listening to some music or something."

I get a real smile out of her, though it was half-hearted, as we entered my pink room. I reminded myself that we were supposed to be getting a décor change soon, and kept in mind the new furniture and technology I would want in it. A few game systems had to go on the list for times like these. Who knew how many times something like close death experience would have us upset?

Yomi's Point of View

The night had been terrible. I didn't get any sleep whatsoever. Grace-Lilly had been tormented with the fact that Misula had such a cruel awakening. I didn't know what had happened to her, but it was obvious Darkness had been a key factor in the equation.

"I hate Elliot, and his pompous, foolish henchmen," Lilly whispered, tears still streaming down her face. It was nearing dawn, so I knew she'd be ready to sleep soon. Even then I wasn't sure if I'd leave my friend. Thunder had left an hour or so ago with Iria. They didn't say for what reason, but I assumed it was about Misula.

Lilly's tears turned to sobs. "Lilly, it's okay," I said, patting her shoulder. Her fragile form shook with the sobs, and I tried my best to soothe her. Of course, I'd be upset if my Guardian had turned her back on me like Misula had; though it really wasn't her fault.

"Yomi." Within the sadness of Lilly's agony, my very own hope stepped into the room; Negative. He crossed the room, and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"Lady Grace-Lilly," he said. She glanced up from her pillow she had buried her face in. "Lord Ash wants to see you. Guardian Azarath and Thunder are there as well."

"Thanks, Yomi," she sighed with a sniff. "You're a wonderful friend. Don't know what I'd do without you." She hugged me tightly, long and comforting before standing to leave. Negative and I followed her out of her room, closing the door behind us.

I watched her walk down the hallway before sighing. A single tear escaped my eye. _Poor Grace-Lilly…_, I thought to myself.

"Yomi, love," Negative said. I jumped in surprise, completely forgetting that he was there. I was out of it or something. I faced him, and he wrapped me in his arms tightly. His loving embrace gave me strength.

"Negative, I feel so helpless!" I said, thought it was muffled by his shirt. I felt him kiss the top of my head as his hands stroked my back gently. I squeezed him tighter.

"It's okay, Yomi," he whispered softly. "Let's walk. Maybe a breath of fresh air will help clear your mind." I nodded miserably at his suggestion, though a walk sounded really nice. I pulled back and took his hand in mine.

He intertwined our fingers before we walked, very slowly as if we had all the time in the world. "How are your classes coming, dear?" Negative asked.

"Terrible. Fonda criticized my 'horrendous southern accent' the other day," I said glumly. I perked up in mock irritation and forced myself to sound like Fonda (and her annoying accent) when I quoted her. Negative chuckled at the quotation.

"I think you're accent is cute." His statement made me smile a real smile. "At least you've almost finished," he said, stroking my hand with his thumb. "Then all you have to do is finish off your physical training. We'll have all the time in the world when you finish."

"I can't wait," I whispered relishing the beautiful image that Negative had painted in my mind. "But what about Elliot?" I asked as his face intruded the wonderful future I'd imagined.

"The war has been slow lately, and Ash will surely end it soon. Elliot will never get the chance to do you harm," he vowed.

"He won't be able to hurt you either," I promised, wishing to invoke the same feeling of security in him that he had invoked in me.

"Enough talk of darkness," Negative said. "Let's escape the war, just for a little while." We had stopped outside in the Garden Courtyard. The sun had peeked over the horizon in the early morning hours, bright and warm, radiating light and happiness; a deep contrast to the mood inside the castle.

"Where could we go?" I whispered, a little doubtful that there was a place that I could actually forget about Elliot and Lightning and Kairi and drama and war.

"I know the perfect place," Negative said, squeezing my hand.

"Will you take me, please?" I asked, hope filling my chest with and evaporating the despair.

"Yes. Your wish is my command, my lady," he said before kissing my hand. I smiled at his teasing chivalry. "Ash won't mind, anyway."

"Okay! Lead the way," I said, excited now. Without hesitation, Negative opened a portal, and we stepped through together.

Warm air, sun, scents of nature and nurtured soil, and a slight breeze were the first things I was aware of. The next was colors, everywhere. Greens, yellows, blues, reds, pinks, purples, oranges, and whites were all over the place. Soft, swaying grass tickled my jeans' legs in the cooling breeze. Flowers, some foreign and exotic and some like familiar strangers from back in the Human World, were scattered all over the field of warm grass and loving earth. The sky, bright blue and happy, held the warm sun firmly in its arms as if cradling a baby.

And then, Negative's hand in mine. His presence was strong and comforting. The embrace was even better. His strong arms held me tightly as I whispered thanks in his ear.

"The perfect place to call our own," Negative murmured softly.

"Ours forever?" I asked with a smile.

"Forever," Negative vowed. And so began the best day of my life. Holding hands, we walked through the flowers, basking in their beauty. Suddenly, he bent down. I paused to wait for him, wondering what my teddy-bear was up to. He rose with blue flowers of many shades ranging from dark navy to sky blue.

"Choose your favorite one," he said. Of the many flowers, I saw a really pretty orchid-like flower with fluxes of dark and light blue. Small violet flecks decorated the lower petals.

"That one!" I said immediately pointing to it.

"The Azeel Dragon," Negative said, handing it to me. I wondered in the back of my handing it to me. I wondered in the back of my head if I could ever control fire that was this color. I stared at it in wonder.

"Here," he said, taking it from my hand and pinning it behind my ear.

"Thank you!" I exclaimed.

"You're welcome, love," Negative said softly. We wandered a bit further before the sound of bubbling water. My eyes widened in anticipation.

"There's water?" I asked, excitedly.

"Yes," he chuckled. I pulled him forward with me, faster than before. After a minute or so, we rose over a hill and found a really pretty lake with sparkling water. It was crystal clear, with fish of sorts and other Human World-like creatures.

"It's so pretty," I said, bending down to touch the water. The fish swam up to my fingers and nibbled on them. I laughed as Negative bent down beside me to watch them. "I think I want a fish tank in my room," I decided.

"I'm sure Ash would be happy to give you one," Negative said lightly. I leaned against him as we watched the fish and other creatures swimming around in the clear water.

"You know I love you, right?" I asked unable to hide my smile.

"Yes, dear, but I was wondering if you knew how much _I_ loved _you_?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. I turned to look at his face, and found a genuine smile. There was no formality, bitterness, or any false content. He was really happy, and he was really okay.

"Can we stay happy forever, Negative? Stay together, and be happy until we die as old people together on a porch somewhere that war and pain doesn't exist?" I asked.

"Sure we can," Negative said after a few moments of thought. "Once the war is over, the worlds will be at peace. There wouldn't be the need to be pained by loss of war and tyranny."

"The day can't come sooner," I whispered. We stood in unison, and walked for a little while. It was silent besides the chirping birds in the distance and the buzzing bees around the flowers. At least, they were kind of like bees. And the birds were kind of like birds.

"You know, I'm really glad you didn't break up with me like you were planning," I said after awhile of deep thought. "I don't know where I'd be without you."

"I know; I feel the same way. I think it would have been the biggest mistake of my life if I really had. I'm glad you talked me out of it, Kiyomi." He turned serious then. "I would be lost without you."

"I'm not going anywhere," I promised just as serious. "Nothing can keep me from being with you."

"I love you, Kiyomi," he whispered. We had stopped in the shade of a small tree, and he had moved considerably closer.

"I love you, too, Negative," I breathed. "Always." He moved closer, closing the distance between our lips. I met him halfway. We shared a soft, sweet kiss before pulling away. "Besides, you're my one and only teddy-bear. Nothing can replace you."

Negative chuckled and kissed my forehead. "Nothing can replace you either, love."

"Good," I said.

Kairi's Point of View

"He's stable now," Ash was saying. I was too busy watching the door, waiting for any Avi members to come out, or even just a nurse to come out for a short break. We weren't allowed inside until the door was opened, and even then, they were going to be very picky about who they let in.

Kiyo was with us. We were right near the door to the room Justuo was in, waiting. How long would we have to wait? Ash said he was stable, but was he conscious? Was he okay? I shuddered in anticipation. Kiyo had gone numb. That's all I could feel from her through our bond. I wondered if she was just shutting everything out.

The sudden movement of the door caught both of our attentions. Serein stepped from the quiet room, her face solemn. She glanced in between the three of us, before speaking. Her voice was like music to our ears – literally.

"He's okay. He's resting now. He finally returned to normal, and he's just really tired. You may see him," she paused in hesitation, but decided it best to continue anyways. "But he's seen better days. Trace got him good." Even the disdain at the mention of Trace sounded elegant and flowing coming from the Elf's mouth.

Kiyo didn't hesitate to follow Serein back into the room. Nor did I. But we weren't ready. I don't think anything could have readied us for the sight of Justuo on that bed. Kiyo's whimpers filled the air before the door had closed. I put an arm around her shoulders like I had last night, hoping to give her strength as we faced it together.

* * *

**Here it is! I hope you enjoy! I made sure to add a special little moment in there for a certain fan who requested it. I hope you like it, Yomi. As for the rest of you, please enjoy the story. Leave reviews and tell me what you think!**

**~KF**


	44. Assaulted and Faulted

**Okay, Guys, so I had to redo some things in this chapter so that Elliot wouldn't look like such a pushover…So here's the edited version of Chapter 43. (Thanks for the help, Sensei!)**

* * *

_**~Chapter Forty-Three: Assaulted and Faulted~**_

The gruesomeness passed. He made a full recovery. The crazy thing is that it only took two weeks! Justuo was a fast healer. I guessed that it was the Feavii in him that helped him heal so much. Plus, Lea and Clover helped out a lot. Injuries were healed much faster these days due to them.

Today was Saturday, and thank god, I definitely needed a day off from training. Kiyo and Yomi were in their formality classes, and I'm sure Mizu and Yami were with their boyfriends. Skye had also made a full recovery. Apparently, in his blind rage, Justuo had been the one to hurt Skye. Not that I wouldn't put it past Justuo to do it on his own will. They could never get along.

I was on my way to meet with Lightning in the Gardens like we always did when a strange thought occurred to me: why the hell hadn't anyone said anything about the war in so long? And as the thought passed through my mind, I really thought about the last time I'd heard about a battle. The Hollow's Eve Festivals…nothing. Kiyo's return had been peaceful. I mentally tapped my finger to my chin. But they had left for battle. And we had been attacked. Vigorously attacked.

That was the last time I recalled there being a battle. It seemed strange. Right before winter was the last battle that I could remember. Everyone had claimed that the war had been slow, but what if it had really been in full swing? Paranoia set in. I'd have to ask Lightning. He wouldn't lie to me. We usually never talked about the war. It was better left unspoken around us.

And there he was. He was behind the gazebo near the southern wall. He was in the bushes of moon blossoms that were hidden by the daylight. "Hey," he said sweetly. Some leaves and stems were stuck in his hair from hiding so well.

"You've got some foliage," I teased half-heartedly. I plucked the leaves and other greens from his hair as he stood to get a better look at me.

"What's wrong?" Lightning asked, raising an eyebrow. Did he know me that well? Or was I that easy to read, like Justuo had said? Either way, I didn't try to beat around the bush.

"How's the war going?" I asked, bluntly. Lightning was surprised by the question, obviously expecting me to tell him something like training was taking a toll or Misula was making no progress (which wasn't exactly true; Justuo had been helping her recuperate.)

"Don't you know?" Lightning asked, uneasily.

"Know what?" I asked, feeling my stomach twist. "They've told us that it's been quiet since we were attacked in the castle."

"Oh Kairi," Lightning said, pursing his lips. My stomach twisted again. Nausea made my world spin. "You've got to be kidding me." I didn't say anything. I don't think I could say anything. "The war is definitely raging. We've lost big leaders, on both sides."

It was like I'd been hit in the head. I saw black spots in my vision as my mind processed the unthinkable. "Who?" I managed to say.

"Uncountable," he stated flatly. "Kairi, are you alright?"

"No," I finally said. One thought taunted me; I hadn't seen Guardian Haru since around the time Justuo had showed up. I didn't think anything of it then. Guilt was soon swarming through me. "I didn't even notice he was gone," I mumbled to myself. That guilt suddenly flared into anger. Fierce anger. "They lied to me! They didn't tell me!"

"Kairi!" Lightning said, looking around to see if anyone had heard my outburst. "What're you talking about, love?"

"Guardian Haru was among the casualties," I mused with dark humor. "They didn't even tell me. It's as if they thought Justuo could take his place. They've been lying to all of us!" I was so angry! My vision became tinted with red.

"Hey, calm down. It's okay," Lightning said in an attempt to calm me down. But that anger burned, strong and hot. It made my body tingle like the edges of me were on fire. Hell, they could have been for all I knew.

Lightning embraced me then, and it was like his presence overwhelmed me. His calm concern smothered my own feelings, and snuffed out my anger, leaving me blank and numb. Then tears bubbled in my eyes. "What's happening to me?" I whispered as they fell down my cheeks. I put my arms around him and buried my face in his chest.

"I don't know," Lightning admitted. "I'm here, though. It's okay." We stood like that for several moments. I couldn't bring myself to say anything, so I waited for him to speak first. "Let's go," he finally said.

"Where?" I asked. "Where could we go? We aren't accepted anywhere. We're a blasphemy in both kingdoms. There's nowhere to run."

"Don't talk like that," Lightning murmured as he stroked my loose hair that had grown to the bottom of my back since I'd last cut it for the ball. "We'll go to my favorite meadow. It's the place I stayed when I ran away from Elliot's castle."

"And no one knows about it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow even though he couldn't see it. My tears had stopped and now my nose was runny. I sniffled.

"No one except Fangira and me," he said his tone light and teasing.

"Okay," I agreed after several seconds. "Show me the way." He pulled back and smiled.

"And you're sure no one will miss you?" Lightning asked.

"Yomi and Yoru will cover for me," I said with a small smile. _Yomi, will you cover for me?_ I thought to her as soon as the words had left my mouth. I didn't want to be proven wrong.

_What am I covering for?_ She replied, sounding glum. Usually when I asked her to 'cover for me' it meant I was ditching training to see Lightning or sleep in.

_Lightning,_ I thought with a mental guilty smile.

_Of course,_ she thought with mock irritation. _Yea, I got your back._

_Thank you, thank you, thank you, Yomi! I owe you!_ My reply was exuberant.

_Yea, yea. You definitely owe me for this. Do you know how much trouble we can get into?_

And then the same guilt from the past months of me keeping the secret from Kiyo returned. I pursed my lips. "Yea, I know," I whispered aloud not meaning to.

_Just be careful, okay? No more infirmary visits,_ Yomi thought as Lightning gave me a questioning look. I shook my head and smiled, hoping to reassure him.

_I know. I'll be careful. Besides, what's the worst that could happen? Lightning is going to be there._

_I'll see you soon, then?_ Yomi asked, and I could practically see her raising an expectant eyebrow at me.

_Yep! We'll be back soon,_ I replied. _Bye Yomi. And thanks, man._

_I'll see you later,_ she said. I pulled from her mind, and focused on Lightning.

"Everything okay?" Lightning asked watching me.

"Yea, she's got my back," I said. Lightning nodded before smiling and intertwining our fingers.

"Let's go," he murmured, pulling me close.

"Okay. Take me away," I whispered. He opened a portal and pulled me through with him. The sensation of falling took over me, and I clung to his hand as we fell through the rifts of reality.

We hit the ground in unison, and I mental praised myself for getting better at landing on my feet. The field before us was familiar. I'd seen it in a dream with Lightning one time. Not a dream, technically.

"Here we are," Lightning said, as if he were presenting his room. I giggled.

"This place means a lot to you, doesn't it?"

"It's like my real home," Lightning said, shrugging. "Many nights I'll just come here and stay. I won't even care if it's raining or snowing."

"From what I've heard about Elliot's castle, I don't much blame you," I said, rubbing his hand with my thumb. "Show me around!"

"Alright, alright," he said, pulling me forward. "But I warn you; there isn't much to see."

"I don't mind," I replied lightly. Lightning walked the rim of the meadow, talking about the places he'd lay and trees he'd climb. He told me about times that Elliot had been particularly harsh and he'd just run to here instead of staying in his room.

"It sounds like you're just on vacation living at Elliot's castle," I teased.

"Maybe I am," he replied sounding more serious than I'd expected from him. I frowned slightly.

"Lightning," I began. His hand went to my mouth, surprising me. His face had become completely serious.

"Shh," he breathed. My eyes sent a million questions at him. _What the hell is happening? What's wrong? Did you get upset because of what I said?_

But I felt what was wrong then. A cold sensation flushed through the field. I automatically recognized it as Darkness. Somewhere in the back of my mind, I groaned. Can there not be one time that I'm not assaulted while I'm away from the castle? Apparently that's too much to ask for!

He let go of my mouth before pulling me behind him. Inky Darkness surrounded us. I shivered at the sight. From the inky Darkness, cloaked figures appeared and stepped forward. In my head, I wondered if these were the Fates. Their moans reached my ears, and I realized these were dead Phoenixes. My eyes searched the cloudy Darkness until I found Raven standing in the midst of the dead Phoenixes. As the Darkness faded away, he stepped forward and spoke.

"I knew I felt a few familiar presences," Raven mused. He slowly stepped forward more, and from here, behind Lightning's protective stance, I felt the fear and cold of Darkness grow.

"Lightning…" I whimpered. Raven's laugh filled the silent air. Lightning's body tensed a bit.

"Oh _this_ is very interesting. A Guardian that's supposed to be dead who protects the most important Phoenix in all worlds and one of Elliot's closest vampires are right here, right before my eyes, What would a pair like you be doing so far away from your homes, _together_?" Raven sneered. The fact that he said I was supposed to be dead reminded me that the Sanctuary was under the impression that I was dead. But I knew Elliot had seen me in his throne room during Misula's rescue. Was he trying to keep it on the down low? And Raven already knew that I was alive. Why was he toying with me now?

"What are you here for?" Lightning asked carefully keeping closed to me.

"I'm here for you, dear Kairi. I could get quite a lot of wealth with that head of yours." Raven chuckled darkly before he continued. "Look at how fragile she is. She would be dead in seconds if I were to unleash my Darkness and let it engulf her."

"Enough of your mind games!" Lightning growled. Suddenly, darkened flames were flying towards us. As an automatic reaction, I made a wall of fire to block the on-coming fire. Lightning gasped, turned to me, and wrapped me in his arms, as if to stop the fire from hurting me, but him instead.

The fire combined with each other, and grew larger. I willed my own fire away from Lightning's exposed back. "Kairi…" Lightning whispered, and hearing his voice so pathetic and weak, broke my concentration. Suddenly, I was blasted with immense, fiery heat. My shrieks were joined by Lightning's as the fire scalded us both, me less than him because my fire resistance.

When the molten feeling finally seemed to lesson, we were still standing, but he was supporting my weight. My body had gone limp. His grip slowly loosened, revealing his burnt skin and reddened flesh. My hands shot to my mouth and I realized it only stung a little bit to move. I looked at my own arms and legs that had been unshielded from the fire to see red splotches.

I looked up at his unmarred face that was wincing in pain. He had shielded me. Oh my poor Lightning… And as if my thoughts had been recognized by the world, his skin slowly began to heal. Before I could ask if he was okay, his skin was completely normal and unmarred by the burns.

"Lightning…" I breathed. He smiled a slightly reassuring smile before pulling me to his side with one arm, and helping me stand again (thankfully; I felt like I was going to fall down.)

Raven was smirking darkly. "Ah, I see now. You love the Guardian of your immortal enemy." He chuckled before looking at me. "And I expected more of a fight from you. Where's your spunk, Guardian?" Raven sneered. I frowned. When I didn't reply, he stepped forward, and continued. "Come on, children, show me how much strength you truly have."

"I'm not going to take your shit anymore!" Lightning spat, and suddenly, Fangira erupted from him, and landed beside him in wolf form. I released Kuroyasha as well, and she joined Fangira near Lightning.

"Fangira, get Raven; make him leave us alone," Lightning commanded. Fangira darted forward.

"You as well, Kuroyasha," I said. She dashed as soon as the words left my mouth. Lightning kept his grip around me tight, ready to defend me in case some got too close. I closed my eyes and leaned against him, not wanting to see the fight.

Seconds passed, then minutes. I don't know how long he held me there before I felt him tense and move around me. I opened my eyes. Suddenly, we flew backwards. I gasped and clung to him until my back hit the ground. My breath swept from my lungs, leaving me stunned. He was inches above me, having caught himself before landing on my body.

"Lightning..!" I breathed. He grabbed my arm and pulled us both up with ease. I stumbled slightly before focusing on Raven, who was standing near our spirit weapons. They were immobilized and bound by Darkness. The drain of it began to pulse through my body and my limbs were becoming weak.

_Kuroyasha, ima koi!_ I screamed in my mind. She faded and disappeared into my hands, scythe flashing. I darted forward on impulse, knowing how much Fangira meant to Lightning. Raven seemed to like this a lot. Lightning didn't though. The sky darkened, and before I knew it, lightning was streaking the sky. Eerily enough, thunder never sounded afterwards.

Raven didn't mind this much, either. "Kairi, get down!" Lightning called. In mid run, I rolled to the ground, and watched as lightning flashed violently, striking several places, one of them including Raven and some of his dead Phoenixes.

Fangira broke free, pouncing on Raven to help with the attack. Lightning soon had me in his arms. I clung to my scythe as he hauled me back the way we had come. The lightning subsided soon, and it didn't take long before Raven spoke again.

"Not so fast, children!" he sneered. A wall of Darkness barricaded our escape. Lightning sat me down, and stepped in front of me as if to put a wall of protection between us.

"What do you want from us, Raven!" I yelled. He turned to Lightning and addressed him instead, as if I wasn't worthy of his words.

"Lightning, my old student, won't you hear me out?" Raven asked with mock sincerity. I shuddered at the reminder of Lightning, Justuo, Raven, Razor, Midnight, Even, and Trace all training together under Elliot at one point.

"It depends on what you're going to say," Lightning snapped.

"Let's turn her in! She is a threat to the very fabrics of your master! And she's got such a high price on her head. It would be quite easy, Lightning," Raven said, a sparkle in his eyes. I was outraged.

"How dare you!" I said through clenched teeth. Lightning was silent. That silence scared me.

"You're right," Lightning admitted. My mouth dropped open.

"What?" I managed to say before his hand caught my wrist. "Lightning?" He pulled me forward, and I stumbled. "What the hell, Lightning?" I said, panic setting in. There's no way Lightning could've been serious. He had to be up to something. Either way, whether he was serious or not, I had to play my part. I began to try and jerk away from him, but his grip tightened.

"That's a good boy," Raven said as we drew closer. I irked me that he acted like Lightning was a dog.

"Lightning, please don't do this to me," I whispered as the distance between me and Raven dwindled.

"We can split the gold," Raven continued as if I weren't begging for my life.

"Lightning, please stop!" I said, beginning to really think he was going to hand me over to Raven.

"Shush, now, Kairi," Lightning said blankly.

"Yes, be quiet, dear," Raven said. I was right in front of him now. Tears, real and warm, trickled from my eyes.

"Here, take her," Lightning said simply. Raven reached forward, and I could feel that cold, dead feeling of Darkness radiating from him. "But I do have one condition."

Raven didn't pay much attention to this. He was too busy reaching for my other wrist that I was flailing to keep away from him. Stands of Darkness wrapped around my arm to keep it still. I cried out. "You have to kill me to ever have her," Lightning growled, releasing my arm. I fell backwards from the inertia of my jerking.

Raven's eyes darkened as Lightning's own Darkness acted out. He shoved Raven backwards with strength I didn't know of. And then, the Darkness around my arm spread over my body, as if to consume me. Water washed towards Lightning from Raven, but lightning streaked the sky and hit the water.

Raven seemed jolted for several seconds before the earth quaked in fury. I fought desperately to break free of the binding darkness. It began weakening me, sucking my energy away. I watched Lightning stumble towards Raven despite the mini earthquake that was trapping him. Wind tore through the area, then, and I felt the Darkness pressure increase.

I released a scream involuntarily. I watched the battle through blurry eyes. Raven seemed to sprout wings, and I reminded myself that he was a Phoenix after all. Rumor had it, Phoenixes had wings, but most hid them. Even Lea had them.

I remember pieces of the intense fight, but most of it is blank. Pieces of memory such as Lightning's screams and Raven's shouts are burned into my memory, but no visuals. The next thing I remembered clearly was the Darkness fading away from me.

I stood on shaky legs, and saw Lightning panting near Raven. He was a wreck. I didn't know it at the time, but so was I. Adrenaline kicked in, and I tried to jog over to them. An unseen force stopped me. Lightning was on the ground now.

Broken and limp, I fell to the ground, as well. Lightning was farther away from me with Raven looming over him. I felt the presence of his Darkness return, thick and heavy around the area. I could only stare at Lightning's shallow breathing figure. Fear coursed through my body like ice water in veins. The fear wasn't for my own well being, but rather my Lightning's.

Then, before I knew it, Trace was running towards Lightning, as if he were there to save the day. He had the Sword of the Sanctuary, ready to fight Raven off. Raven and Trace had an exchange that I couldn't hear because of the loud ringing I was now hearing in my ears. Behind Trace, I saw a cloaked figure approaching. Raven seemed to back off and give a slight bow to the cloaked figure before fading into that same inky Darkness with his dead Phoenixes.

The cloaked figure slid his hood off, and my stomach churned, dangerously close to vomiting. It was Elliot himself. Lightning's pained eyes found mine just as Elliot's gaze found my broken body. Words were exchanged, but the ringing only worsened. I was going to die…maybe this time for good.

Trace handed the Sword of the Sanctuary to Elliot. He unsheathed his own as Elliot slashed Lightning's chest farther. "No!" I managed to shout. The ringing quieted long enough for me to hear Elliot say something to my Lightning.

"You're a fool, Lightning! You fell to Raven of all people. And you helped _her_?" With his anger came more slashes and moans of pain.

"I'm in love with her." Lightning's voice, broken with pain, finally escaped his lips, carrying with it the truth of our secretive love. My vision dizzied, and I fought to keep the ringing from my ears.

"Love? Hah, you are not capable of such an emotion if you wield that of which I gave you; Darkness." He plunged the Sword of the Sanctuary into Lightning's chest, and I prayed that it missed his heart.

My stomach churned when Elliot's gaze fell on me. A sick smirk twisted his features before his cold voice said, "Trace, it is time to truly rid ourselves of this pest of a Guardian. She's caused too much conflict in our plans, and it's time she be gone."

Trace only hesitated for a second before he closed the distance between us in very few seconds. As soon as he's taken the first step, Lightning had begun to yell at him and Elliot not to hurt me. Tears blurred my vision instead of pain. Trace stood over me, his sword in his hand. I knew I was going to die this time. There was no stopping it. Lancer wasn't here to save me this time, Ash wouldn't be coming to my rescue, and Lightning was incapacitated. So, I blocked Kiyo, Yomi, Kuroyasha, and even Lancer from my mind. If I was going to die, let it be peaceful.

I closed my eyes, took a deep breath, and let my hand enclose around me and Kiyo's best friend necklace. "Good bye, Lightning," I breathed. Before I could think another thought, a sharp pain broke through my mental barricade.

_Kairi,_ an unexpected voice said in my mind. My eyes popped open, and landed on Trace. His voice continued. _Kiyo must be protected no matter what the circumstances may be. Do you understand this, Kairi?_ Trace had lifted his sword and it now was hovering above me, as if Trace's command was the only thing keeping it from bringing my death early.

_Yes…_ I thought hesitantly.

_I'm sparing you. Protect. Kiyo. Do not let me regret this or I'll hunt you down myself, and drive my sword through your heart._ Trace struck the sword down and I screamed in pain as it pierced my shoulder, but with it, I felt a renewal. My mind tingled as the sword plunged deeper into my flesh, finally stopping after it penetrated the earth beneath me.

Louder and stronger than before, Trace's voice continued in my mind. _Connected, let us be!_ A sense of strength pulsed through my body, but not enough to keep the dark spots threatening my eye sight away. Darkness suddenly washed over me, quieting me, leaving me alone and by myself.

Trace's Point of View

I felt her magical resonance slowly die, and watched her body go limp. Her breathing even stopped. With a strong grip on Beautiful Disaster's hilt, I pulled her from Kairi's shoulder. To make it seem even more heartless, I liked Kairi's blood from Beautiful Disaster's blade. I then walked over to Elliot, stopping by his side.

"The deed is done, Master," I said with a small bow.

"Kairi!" Lightning screamed. "You stupid son of a bitch!" Elliot muttered something under his breath and Lightning's eyes widened in pain before he went silent and fell limp as Kairi had. His heart still beat, though, unlike Kairi's. Elliot glanced in her direction warily.

"And you're sure she's dead?" Elliot asked doubtful of the action.

"Her heart has stopped. Her magical resonance has faded away. She is dead, My Lord," I replied with a smirk of what I hoped was satisfaction.

"Get Lightning to the infirmary," Elliot said, waving his hand towards his limp and bloodied body. "I don't have time to lose more people right now."

"I understand, my liege," I replied. I picked up Lightning, trying to be easy; he probably still felt pain despite Elliot's spell. My old student moaned quietly in his unconscious state as I carried him. Elliot led the way into a portal that would likely take us back to the castle.

Lancer's Point of View

Ash, Kiyo, Skye, Negative, Yoru, and I were too anxious to speak. We only spoke when necessary. As I ran, my thoughts wandered back to Kiyomi, Mizu, and Yami who had all thrown fits to come with us instead of staying. Kiyo had only been able to come due to her connection with Kairi. We were leading others to her. Skye had flipped out when I claimed Kairi had cut Kiyo and me out of her head. He was obviously going because they were siblings.

Negative volunteered mostly because Yomi had asked him to go in her stead. My mind jolted as I felt my Master dying. With her, I felt myself dying as well. She only had minutes left. So I talked to her through our connection, trying to keep her conscious. Thankfully, her defenses had slipped enough for me to break into her head.

But she never answered. Panic flittered through my stomach. Kairi was going to die if we didn't pick up the pace, and I would die by her side. No, I wouldn't let us die! Not my Master!

Using my connection to her, I was guided quickly. The others, including Kiyo, followed in silence. Weakness and exhaustion gnawed at my consciousness. On and on we continued to run. Just when I felt hopeless and practically dead, an opening in the trees revealed a meadow. Within the meadow, Kairi lay lifelessly on the ground. Alone in the field, she looked like a soldier who had died honorably.

I did not hesitate to run forward even though our lives were quickly approaching an end. At her side, I crouched, taking her hand in mine tightly. "Kairi, my lady, wake up," I whispered. When Kiyo saw Kairi, a scream penetrated the air. Skye and Ash were the next people to make it to me and Kairi. She was alive, but so close to death.

Kiyo bounded to our sides, taking her other hand. Within seconds, she had begun healing Kairi. I automatically felt the strength coursing through her, also filling me with strength. "Her mind is silent. Her heart isn't even beating!" Kiyo yelled in a panic. Ash quickly scanned her mind; I could feel it happening through our connection.

"She's alive. Her mind has shut down to protect itself," Ash explained. "Her body seems to have done the same thing."

"Is she going to be okay?" Skye asked urgently.

"I can't tell," Ash admitted. "Something's happened that made her shut down. It must've been serious."

"She will be okay!" Kiyo said harshly. Everyone fell silent then as she continued to heal. Minutes passed, and Kiyo weakened. Kairi's breath caught in her throat. Air filtered through her lungs. I wasn't sure if this meant her mind had reawakened.

"Kiyo, that's enough," Ash said, taking her free hand. Kiyo went limp in his arms, but stayed conscious. "We can only get her home and wait. You did well, love," Ash murmured, cradling in his arms.

Skye, with a pained look, knelt down beside me. "Carry her gently," he said. I nodded and lifted Kairi, holding her tightly to me. Her breathing increased and her face contorted with pain. Just as quickly as her face had scrunched up, it smoothed out. Her breathing remained shallow pants, breathing in and out with the rhythm of her quick heart beats. Her blood had soaked me like warm water after a spring rain.

I don't know how long we walked. I'd lost track of time watching Kairi and making precise moves and steps. I found myself in the castle Gardens before too long. Skye took Kairi from my arms and followed Ash to the infirmary as I did. Yoru parted ways with us to tell Kairi's friends about what had happened to her, or what she knew rather.

Kiyo had fallen asleep from the exhausted drain healing Kairi had taken on her. She and Kairi were placed on separate beds near one another. Sitting near them, I glanced around and found it ironic how many times Kairi and her friends came in here wounded; they were supposed to be the most protected in the castle. And that was my last thought before I was succumbed to restless sleep.

Kairi's Point of View

His thoughts found me before I knew consciously what was happening. _She should've survived. I left some of my lingering Darkness there to force her to live long enough for them to find her and save her. Unless those pathetic little slackers couldn't find her fast enough. Though I'm sure I'd feel her die if she did._

The internal babble confused me for several reasons: one, these weren't my own thoughts. Two, I had no idea who was talking or whom the subject of the babble was. Then the images came. I was walking down a long corridor in an unfamiliar place. Yet, all the same, I felt like I knew these hallways very well. As I walked, unable to control my movements, I turned down a hall with precision, and walked into an unfamiliar infirmary. I walked swiftly to a bed near the back of the long room.

Then I saw Lightning. My heart rate quickened, and I wanted to scream his name and run forward. But my mouth stayed closed, and my pace stayed steady. When I reached his bed side, my stomach churned.

He was unconscious. He had no shirt on, and his chest was bandaged with bandages that used to be pure white, but were now tainted deep crimson. His chest heaved shallow breaths that seemed to cause him pain. My eyes traveled to his wrists, and I internally gasped when I saw he was bound by silver. That's when I realized something: I wasn't in my own body. The first piece of evidence for this was when I spoke; it was something I would _never_ say. The second piece was that it sure as hell wasn't my voice, but a male voice, deep and kind of hot. After those things sunk in, everything clicked, and I knew I was in Trace's mind, seeing though his eyes.

"Lightning, awaken," Trace said. As if his voice had snapped Lightning out of a trance, he opened his eyes slowly, revealing pain behind them. "Master Elliot wants you moved to your room. He thinks privacy may help you to heal."

"Bull shit," Lightning whispered. "He wants me out of his way." Trace rolled his eyes before gripping the silver chains binding Lightning's wrists to the bed railing. A burning-cold sensation came with their touch. My automatic reaction was to jerk away from them, but Trace held firmly, quickly unweaving the chains from Lightning's wrists. He quickly dropped them when he was done unbinding Lightning. His hands were burned and bloody for only a few moments before they healed, leaving no sign from the burn or pain from before.

Lightning's wrists stayed bloody though. This made me worry. Vampires were supposed to heal quickly…

"Can you stand?" Trace asked. Lightning glared, but shook his head no. Trace grinned cockily and said, "Then it seems you'll have to be carried. Your chariot awaits, princess." Lightning scowled and Trace's voice intruded my own head, knocking me from his. _Ah, so you _did_ survive. That's good. Make sure you take care of yourself and heal. Or it may be the death of both of us._

A hand on my forehead was the first thing I felt. My eyes snapped open; I gasped and flew straight up. I then screamed due to a fiery pain in my chest. "Kairi!" several voices yelled as I fell back against the pillows painfully.

"I have a mind connection with Trace!" I cried. "I'm so sorry!" I broke into agonized sobs, feeling alone…so alone…

Half an hour later, Lancer was holding my hand as I tried to tell everyone what had happened. I was propped up on feathery pillows, and awkwardly enough, I had no shirt on. Thankfully, I was wrapped tightly in bandages from the top of my chest, all the way to my waist. Nothing was showing, but I still had the blankets pulled over me.

"Trace spared you?" Ash asked in surprise. "Hmm, for him to go against his master's orders is something very extraordinary. Did he give you a reason?"

"He told me to protect Kiyo," I said after a long time.

"Of course. It was for his own personal reasons," Ash said with a bitter tone. Lancer squeezed my hand gently for comfort. I knew why; he was worried about me and he knew I was worried for Lightning.

Kiyo sat near me, fidgeting uncomfortably, with worry written all over her face. "Shouldn't we destroy it…?" I whispered.

"No!" Ash and Lancer said immediately. The fierce look in their eyes told me that definitely wasn't what we needed to do. "That could permanently damage your mind," Ash finished. My head spun from blood loss and fear. I was tied to Trace. For good. The thought made my stomach sick. Kiyo didn't seem so happy with this either. Yomi, Yoru, Yami, and Mizu weren't here to agree or disagree with the thoughts; I imagined them standing outside the infirmary with their ears pressed to the door. I almost smiled.

Ash, Rath, Fear, and Skye were the others in the room besides Lancer, Kiyo, and me. I took a little of comfort from this; it felt nice to have some privacy. "You're tied to Trace," Fear said simply, breaking my moment of slight bliss. She turned to Ash. "Perhaps I could talk him into severing it?"

"No, it would still traumatize Kairi's mind. The best thing to do is for Kairi to live with it. She'll have to learn how to block him out. Mental training from Kiyo and me, perhaps Lancer as well," Ash concluded. "For now she should rest and recover."

"I'm not leaving," Kiyo said immediately. "My sister almost just died. I am staying here." Kiyo's voice quivered with tears, but there was a strong confidence to it.

"It's okay, love. I expected as much," Ash murmured. He kissed Kiyo's forehead.

Just then, there were several loud complaints from outside the door before it busted open to reveal my sensei looking winded and epic at the same time. Justuo closed the distance between us in seconds as he took in the scene. Yoru, Yomi, Mizu, and Yami all stood in the doorway looking upset that they hadn't had the chance to barge in before him.

"Kairi, are you alright?" Justuo asked ignoring everyone except me and probably Kiyo.

I had to clear my throat to answer. "Um, yea. I'll survive. No worries," I replied quickly. Had he come all the way from the Human World? How had he even heard of the news? I didn't speak my words aloud, and even if I could've spoken the questions, Ash was already speaking to Justuo.

"She was stabbed in the chest and is now mentally connected to Trace," Ash explained despite Justuo's rude behavior.

"Fuck him," Justuo said as he took in my position and Kiyo's. Justuo raised his eyebrows as if to ask, "You'll tell me the story later?" I nodded once, very slightly. What was going through his mind? I wondered idly if he was judging me because of my recently discovered mind connection to Trace. I was too distracted to think of that right now. Mizu's voice emitted from the entrance of the door.

"Kairi! Are you okay?" Mizu approached and the rest of Mpopyya followed.

"Of course," I replied. "I mean, why wouldn't I be?" It was meant to be a joke, but my friends, especially Kiyo, didn't laugh or smile. I sighed softly, winced when my chest tensed, and squeezed my eyes shut when I felt it slowly relax.

"Shouldn't give her some kind of pain killer?" Justuo asked, sounding irritated.

"We already have. There isn't much a pain killer can do for a stab to the chest. We were planning on using morphine to help her when she sleeps," Fear snapped. Ash raised his hand to calm her rising anger. Did Fear actually feel defensive for me or was it just her irritable attitude towards Justuo's smart ass comments? Again, my mind asked questions that I didn't speak.

"Right now, she needs alone time. Only two visitors at a time," Ash finally said. "She should be stable enough to be left alone. Kiyo's healing helped a lot more than we had expected it to."

"I'm staying," Kiyo said automatically, mirroring her earlier swear. Lancer shifted uncomfortably. I knew he wouldn't want to leave me, either. But Yoru would probably want to stay, too. Instead of voicing my own thoughts, I let my friends, sensei, and brothers deal with the mess; I was too exhausted and over-whelmed to talk anyway. I don't think my opinion would matter much.

"I want to stay," Skye, Mizu, Yami, Yomi, and Justuo said at the same time. I internally sighed, waiting for the heated debate to begin and betting that Justuo's ulterior motivation was to be with Kiyo alone while I was knocked out.

"You can switch out!" Ashu-Niisama said, before further argument could break out. I silently thanked Ash for his command, though I had a feeling that it wouldn't stop the argument. There was a long silence in which everyone looked at Ashu-Niisama, and for a moment, I actually thought his words had worked them. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

"I'm staying first then," Justuo stated. "She's my student."

"She's my sister," Skye challenged.

"My Guardian!" Yomi snapped at both of them, looking triumphant.

"Ours, too!" Mizu said, standing up for the rest of Mpopyya. I closed my eyes again as my head pounded with the new connection. I could feel Trace. He was walking. I had no visual, only feeling strong legs and strong arms. No pain burdened my chest. Echoes from my own ears filled my head, pulling me from my bliss I'd found in Trace's head.

My eyes snapped open just as Yomi said, "You are only her mentor; we are her siblings!" She was glaring at Justuo as he countered.

"Last time I checked, you weren't blood related, Bloodsucker," Justuo snapped back.

"Stop!" I shouted despite the pain that came with raising my voice. "Does it really matter?" I had lowered my voice after everyone froze. "Can't you switch off every hour? Just please stop screaming; my head is killing me."

Everyone stared at me for a few seconds before Ash cleared his throat. "Justuo can stay first. In an hour, Skye can switch out. Then we'll start switching off in an hour. Quietly. Kairi should be sleeping, resting, recovering. Don't keep her up."

I was surprised Justuo had been the first on the list. But I didn't say anything. I closed my eyes again and whispered, "I'll be okay guys. You know I will. Lancer, you can go hang out with Archer and Axel if you want."

"I'd rather stay and watch over you, but you're will is greater than my own," Lancer said, standing and bowing. His formal had me wondering if he was upset. I didn't probe through his head like I did on a normal basis. I watched him carefully, instead. His eyes showed dark worry that I knew was for me. I felt my stomach clenched as he straightened from the bow, and walked towards the exit.

My friends, brother, king, and teachers followed him, leaving my sensei and my protectant alone with me. And like I knew he would, Justuo asked, "What the hell happened to you, Kohai?"

And so, I began to explain.

* * *

**Here you go, guys! Enjoy! I got this out a lot faster than usual because I'd been working on this chapter waaay before. Leave reviews! Love you guys! 3**

**~KF**


	45. Felion ShikariSan

_**~Chapter Forty-Three: Felion Shikari-San~**_

Justuo's Point of View

Trace was a dirty little bastard, but I had to be thankful that he had left Kairi alive. Of course it was for his personal, sick reasons, so the respect that came with the action was dissolved. Not that there was much respect there in the first place. That bloodsucker made my blood boil.

Speaking of Kairi, I was supposed to train her and Kiyo today after Avalanche had their training session. Aki had been pushing for a chance to take my Dark Angel on, though I was still debating on the idea considering I would be with the girls later, and they might have been able to feel remnants of the Darkness.

But maybe instead of thinking of what I was supposed to do later, I should have been concentrating on getting off of the school campus and to the Paranormal World where we'd be training today. Annoyed that I couldn't think of a good excuse, I tapped my finger impatiently on the keyboard in front of me. Chatter sounded around me in a calm, casual way. Mr. K always let us talk in T.V Production 3. We were his favorite class.

Across the class room, Kimiko, a very good friend and colleague of mine, stood up and walked over to Mr. K. Out of utter boredom, I zoned in on the conversation with my sensitive Feavii hearing.

"Can I use the bathroom, Mr. K?" Her simple question sent an epiphany racing through my mind. Of course, I would get in trouble of I actually pulled this off, but it would have to do.

I waited several moments after Kimiko had left for the bathroom before I too, stood up and went to Mr. K's side. "Hey, can I use the bathroom?" I asked, sending a very small bit of enticement towards him, thought I knew I wouldn't get need it.

"Of course, Justuo," he said, easily. Mr. K was like a second father to me. I could probably get anything I wanted from him without enticement's help.

"Thanks, Mr. K." I casually walked out of the door and into the hallway, closing the door behind me. Glancing both ways down the hall, I took a left towards the dead end. Ignoring the ache of pain from bittersweet memories of Amber in this particular hallway, I slipped through the door, and into the fresh air of freedom.

"That was way too easy," I told myself. I glanced around for any witnesses before I swiftly walked towards the parking lot next to the track. I followed the road to the pathway that led behind Burger King, free of the school and its stupid campus rules.

Kimiko's Point of View

As I walked back toward the T.V. Production room, a strange feeling came over me. The first thought that came to my mind was Justuo Yamamotto. I looked ahead of me and saw, right around the corner, Justuo. This wasn't the first time I had had an eerie moment of intuition. My gut made me watch him instead of expose myself like I usually would. He glanced around in a very suspicious way before taking a left and disappearing from my view.

And then it hit me. The weirdest thing I had ever felt, almost like I was being compelled, came over me, and I _had_ to follow him. Quietly, I slipped around the corner, and saw him opening the door at the end of the hall to go outside. Something in my subconscious told me to quietly follow him and to make sure he didn't find out.

Without hesitation, I ran after him, stopping at the door and hoping Mr. K hadn't seen me run past the room. I peeked through the window. Justuo was heading towards the parking lot next to the track. I slipped out of the door and followed him at a slower pace, hoping he wouldn't turn around. Where was that boy going? I was going to find out.

He got into his shitty car and started to drive off as I was crouching behind a car, watching him. Oddly, my instinct was telling me that he was heading to McDonald's. I quickly jumped up and ran across the road; down the path that the high school students normally walked through in the afternoon towards Subway. As I passed Subway, I started slowing down and scanning for his car in the parking lot. I spotted his car parked across from McDonald's entry door. I completely stopped for a moment, making sure he wasn't in sight.

I knew I couldn't approach him right away. He wouldn't tell me what he was up to or why the hell he was randomly leaving school today. I huffed out of annoyance, and then I remember that he hardly locked his car doors. Quickly, I crept over to his car, looking through the windows and behind me, making sure no one, especially Justuo, was watching. I opened the back door. Things started to fall out. I quickly grabbed them and briefly wonder how the hell I was going to hide in this shit. I jumped in, slowly shutting the door behind me. I pushed a bunch of trash around while cussing at Justuo's inability to throw trash away. I gave up and attempted to lie down and allow the trash to at least cover a bit of me. I peeked up and saw Justuo heading to the car. I quickly ducked down, focusing on staying extremely still. I heard the car door clicked open.

Justuo's Point of View

_You're going to meet me in this World?_ I thought as I made my way to my car.

_Sure. Prompto and Aki are setting things up for training with Akira. The girls are doing whatever they do before training. I'll meet up with you near your house,_ Fayt replied.

_Alright, alright,_ I thought. I glanced at McDonald's and decided that I should probably get a soda to get some energy. You gotta love Feavii metabolism.

I opened the door to my piece-of-shit-yet-very-reliable car and climbed in. I cleared out one of the cup holders in the junky, trash-filled car and placed the large soda in it. I turned the car on and wasn't surprised when I heard my favorite Japanese artist's music blasting. I turned it down a bit before pulling out of the parking space and down the parking lot, heading for the road.

It wasn't until I heard her voice that I smelt her scent and noticed an extra heart beat in my car. "So, where are you sneaking off to?" Kimiko's voice came from behind me. I slammed on the break in surprise. The car lurched to a stop, sending her slightly forward into the front of the car. "Hey! Easy with the breaks, dumb ass!" Her tone became completely joking.

"How the hell did you get in here?" I asked unable to say anything else.

"Well I saw that you were obviously up to no good, so I followed you. While you were getting your soda, I hopped in your car. So where are we going?" Kimiko had completely blown my mind. How had she hidden herself so well? I should've been able to smell her as soon as I opened the door.

"_We_ aren't going anywhere. I'm going home because I don't feel good. You should go back to school," I lied smoothly. Kimiko gave me a look that said she didn't believe me at all.

"You're a terrible lair," she said simply as she climbed into the front seat and buckled her seat belt. I suppressed a groan of irritation.

"You can't come with me, Kimiko."

"If you're skipping school, so am I," Kimiko stated firmly. For a split second, I wanted to explode and tell her she would die because I was going to a different world where you had to kill or be killed. But something stopped me.

To this day, I don't know what made me let off the break and say, "Fine." It may have been our friendship, maybe I had felt a hint of magic within Kimiko that I hadn't felt before, or maybe it was my inner "teddy-bear" (as Kiyo called it) that was longing for an outsider to the Other Worlds that I could relate to. Of course, I would never admit that to anyone.

Kimiko seemed pleased with my forfeit. But as I grew closer to my house, I began realizing that I was in some deep shit. I was on my way to meet my obvious Feavii friend so that we could go to another world, train intensely, and then go help train six kids that had gone missing in the natural world. Yea, I deal with that on a daily basis. When you throw a girl, who knew those six kids, into the mix and bring her with you when you happen to meet that Feavii friend, then things get a little complicated.

By the time I pulled out of my mental horde of problems and complaints, we were almost at me and my brother's trailer. Kimiko glanced at me seriously and asked, "Seriously, Justuo. Why are you ditching school?"

I didn't answer at first, making sure no one was here like Katie, Monika, or my brother. Thankfully the coast was clear, and I turned my attention back to concerned-looking Kimiko. She was awaiting a satisfactory answer, one that I couldn't technically give to her.

"Just…look, Kimiko. Please do me a favor and stay here until I come back. I just have to grab something around back, and we're going back to school," I said quickly. I could feel Fayt's magical resonance burst through the area, almost tangible in my nose and gut.

Kimiko frowned and opened her mouth only to close it quickly when Fayt's magical resonance grew stronger. "You're lying, Justuo." Her words chilled my spine. But I didn't have time for this. Fayt would come jogging out of the woods soon.

"Just stay here, Kimiko!" I said with as much power as I could. She didn't even flinch. Before she could say anything else, I got out of the car and ran behind my house where Avalanche usually met up with me in this world.

Like I thought he would, Fayt came jogging out of the trees near my house, stopping a few feet away. His pointed Elven ears stuck out like a sore thumb. "God damn it," I muttered, feeling frustrated.

"What's wrong?" Fayt asked, glancing around.

"One of my friends from school followed me, and she's getting really suspicious. I'm going to have to take her back to school before I go back to the Paranormal World with you," I said, feeling pissed off that Kimiko had to follow me.

"Fuck, Justuo…Seriously?" Fayt sighed. He muttered quietly in Feavii. I heard several cuss words in the fluent mix before he returned to English. "Just hurry up. I can't stay in the Human World near your house for too long. You're house is a big target for Elliot and the Fates. Plus, your brother could come by."

"Alright, I'll be fast. Don't leave without me unless you have to. Kairi and Kiyo are training with me later, too, so we have to speed up the spar matches. I was backing away from Fayt when I felt my stomach clench as a disgusting and burning odor filled my nostrils.

"Fuck!" I growled as I realized a Seraph had found us. Fayt looked back to the still and silent forest as the scent grew stronger.

"Justuo, behind you!" I heard Kimiko shout. My stomach sank. I turned around quickly to see the huge, black, and shadowy creature moving towards me, claws extended. Kimiko came into view with a huge stick in her hand. She struck the Seraph, distracting it from Fayt and me. The poisonous scent gagged me and sent me into a coughing fit. Thankfully, Fayt hadn't been as close to the Seraph as me. He backed away, took a deep breath of fresh air, and ran into the sightless poison in the air. He and Kimiko fought off the best while I struggled for fresh air.

A Seraph secretes a poison from their skin that is fatally deadly to Feavii. If a Feave is touched by a Seraph, they are poisoned and could die very quickly if they are not treated soon and correctly. Breathing the toxins emitted from a Seraph is like a Human breathing in bleach through their nose and holding it in.

I could feel that Fayt had already called for backup from Akira, Prompto, and Hana so I didn't bother sending another mental message to them.

Once I was far enough away from the sickening smell, I gasped for clean air, coughing and dangerously close to vomiting. I could taste blood in the back of my throat. I didn't let this stop me. As soon as I had regained my breath, (despite the burning in my nostrils and lungs) I sucked in a breath and ran forward, ready to aid Fayt and Kimiko, who was, surprisingly, holding up very well.

Before we could do anything else, even before I could reach Fayt and Kimiko, a strong gust of wind blew through the forest, sweeping across the meadow that surrounded the trailer, blowing the poisoned air away from our range. We breathed the clean air quickly just as a familiar sight came into view, sending a strong wave of magical resonance through the area.

A tall figure in a pure white Ronin Samurai outfit darted from the forest faster than Kimiko expected. She jumped back in surprise as the male figure, with his hood pulled up over his head, drew a katana and sliced the Seraph in two. The shadowy beast seemed to melt and swivel before blowing away now with the calming wind.

With fresh air to my lungs, came fiery pain, and I found myself fighting the urge to go into a coughing fit. The cloaked figure turned to us, revealing nothing more than his silver hair and spectacles. He slid his katana back into its place before speaking directly to me.

"A message from the Fates; you've slipped up and are now responsible for this new youth. Her Fate rests in your hands."

Before I could stop myself, a smart ass, snide comment bubbled to my lips. "Well you can tell the Fates…!" But he cut my raspy voice off.

"I am merely a messenger of new that wasn't directly given to me by them. In due time, you will understand everything Justuo Werdin." His words sent a chill down my spine. He turned to Kimiko, who I had all but forgotten in the chaos that had finally calmed. "Your fate has been altered. Do with it as you wish."

Kimiko's eyes widened in surprise, and then she glanced at me for guidance. Before we could say anything else, our strange "messenger" disappeared into the trees and was gone, leaving a shaken-up looking Kimiko and a puzzled looking Fayt.

"He was powerful," Kimiko finally whispered. "Now what the hell is going on?" she demanded, turning to me.

"Just bring her with us. You can full her in on the way," Fayt sighed. "Are you okay? You breathed a lot of that poison." I waved my hand dismissively as another round of coughs burdened my chest. This time, blood came from my throat. I spit it from my mouth quickly only to have Kimiko gasp in horror.

"Oh my God, Justuo! Are you okay?" she asked, walking towards me in concern.

"It's only natural for a Feavii to be coughing up blood after an encounter with a Seraph," Fayt explained. When Kimiko's face showed only confusion, I knew I'd have a long day ahead of me.

"Let's just sit down and talk this out," I managed.

"Yes, because you have a _lot_ of explaining to do," Kimiko said critically.

"So you're telling me that there are other worlds? Like dimensions? And that's where Kairi and her friends are?" Kimiko asked after what felt like hours of explaining. Really it had only been two. Fayt had told Avalanche we would be late, about our new problem with Kimiko knowing, and about our little visitor.

"Yes," I confirmed. "We're supposed to be on our way to the Paranormal World to train with the rest of our group."

"Do I get to go?" Kimiko asked.

"You're going to have to come. We can't really leave you here by yourself," Fayt said. His dark blue hair seemed black in the dimly lit room of my house. We had gone inside instead of staying outside and taking the chance of another surprise attack.

"And how am I supposed to get there?" Kimiko asked, seeming to get fidgety and nervous.

"Easy; you'll teleport with us," I replied.

"But I don't know how to teleport," she said, sounding irritated.

"Doesn't matter. We can open portals," I said. "That's how we teleport." There was a silence, and she flushed, seeming embarrassed. Under normal circumstances, Kimiko would've came back with a teasing retort, but due to Fayt's presence, I could tell she felt uneasy.

"Oh," was all she said. I gave her a comforting tap on the shoulder. She seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"And we're going today…?" she questioned.

"Yes. We can't leave you here. You'll be fine," I said, waving off her worry. She seemed to fidget again, and I could tell something was obviously wrong. I sat down on the couch next to her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Kimiko, listen," I said. She looked into my eyes attentively. "You'll be safe with Fayt and me. We won't let anything hurt you." I paused to let that sink in before saying something teasingly to break the tension. "Besides, if we're ambushed or something, you'd be able to kick some serious ass, especially considering you're an awesome fighter in this world." She contemplated this for a moment before a smile lit up her face.

"Hmm, you really mean it?" Kimiko asked. "I mean, I did kick your ass that one time." I rolled my eyes.

"Sure, sure. You only pinned me down. Nothing more," I boasted.

"Whatever!" she yelled.

"We really have to go," I said sobering my face. "It's probably already noon." I glanced up at Fayt who seemed utterly bored. He was leaning against the wall near us, staring around the room like he had stepped into a closet and come out in Narnia. "Are you ready to get going, Fayt? Or so you want to stay here and watch cable TV?"

Fayt's attention went back to ne before a smirk formed on his lips. "Shut up, Justuo. Let's go."

Kimiko stood, stretched a bit, and walked towards the door. Fayt and I followed her pursuit. "So, we just go?" she asked once outside.

"Not in the open. Go into the trees so we have some cover," Fayt explained as he took lead. We followed him into the lead. We followed him into the bustling forest. Maybe it was only bustling to me and Fayt considering out enhanced hearing and other senses. I doubted Kimiko could hear such a small noise as a mouse scurrying or a ground hog digging. She was Human after all.

Then I began to think. For some reason, Kimiko could tell when I was lying. _That is unusual._ I was a really good lair, and people usually didn't notice. So how had she? And what had made her follow me? These thoughts had me second guessing her species.

"Hey, Kimiko," I asked. She glanced up and met my gaze.

"Yea, what is it?"

"How did you know I was lying?"

"Simple. I just knew. It's almost like a gut feeling." Kimiko slowed her talking near the end, as if unsure. "I don't know."

"Hmm, how strange," I murmured as we continued. Not long after the exchange, we stopped and readied ourselves to leave his world. "Just walk right behind me, Kimiko, and you'll come through with us."

Kimiko nodded, and I could tell she was nervous and jittery. I gave her a smile to reassure her before Fayt warped reality, almost like a tear in the very fabric of this world. He went through it, and I followed, hoping Kimiko came through fast enough. Things changed from that moment on.

The soft wind that blew through Feywood brought with it the scent of evergreen and rich earth. It was a homely smell that I had grown accustomed to. Magic danced through the air, filling my senses with murals of power and life.

Fayt stood ahead of me, taking in the sudden magic that sent our senses on roller coasters. He turned back to me and his eyes widened. "What's wrong?" I asked, readying myself for a fight if danger came. I also turned.

And then I froze.

Kimiko, my "Human" friend that I had known forever, who had been there for me when times were easy and when times were hard, stood there, completely changed. Her hair was really dark with vibrant highlights of neon colors. It was layered and short, only coming to about her shoulders with the exception of one long braid that hung all the way to her knees. Her eyes sparkled midnight blue with flecks of purple, almost cat-like and amazing me further. To top everything off, two pointed cat-like ears adorned the top of her head. They, unlike her hair, were bright white with purple splotches. A tail that matched them twitched behind her.

"Holy shit, Kimiko…" I whispered.

"What is it?" she demanded.

"You're a Felion," Fayt stated, thought I knew he was just as surprised as I was.

"What the fuck is that?" Kimiko asked, sounding on the edge of freaking out.

"It's a cat-human species," I said, still taking her in. I noticed her nails were sharper, and her canine teeth were as well.

"What the hell?" she whispered, looking down at herself. I then noticed her outfit. She wore skin-tight black leggings to her shins. A skirt came mid-way to her thighs. It was purple, like the splotches on her tail and ears. Her shirt was strange. She had a tank top on that was pure black and a shorter top over that. This top was white, matching the white fur on her ears and tail. Kimiko's feet were bare with the exception of bandages that were wrapped around the arcs of her feet.

"Oh my god," she breathed. Her eyes found mine again. "What happened?"

"Some people change appearances…but never have they changed species," I breathed.

"Tobi," Fayt stated. I nodded slowly. If anyone in the whole Paranormal World would know about this kind of predicament, it would be Tobi.

"We go to Tobi," I said. "Go find Serein and Hana. They'll help Kimiko more considering they're girls. I'll meet you at Tobi's place. Tell the others to postpone training."

"Yea, man. I'm on it," Fayt said. He started off towards his home while I kept my eyes on Kimiko.

"What's going on?" she asked looking at Fayt's retreating figure and then back to me.

"We're going to Tobi's house. He'll know something about all this mess," I said. She nodded and we began to walk. We walked from there with Kimiko babbling questions left and right. I answered them, knowing she was freaked out just as Aki, Hana, and I had been when we first came to the other worlds. I didn't blame her for being freaked out.

We all had been. Even Miki. With that final thought, I kept my mind cleared and my chest empty of pain. Kimiko needed my attention right now. I would give it to her. Oh, how things would change.

Kimiko's Point of View

_…But never have they changed species_, rang through my head repeatedly. I noticed that my senses had changed; they became sharper just like my teeth and my nails had. It was so weird, feeling the canine teeth poking at my tongue. I jumped, mentally, when something tapped my back, and then realized it was just my tail.

_Whoa, I have a tail and cat ears poking out of my head_, I thought to myself. I was okay with the fact that there was another world or dimension and that I had teleported through a hole with Justuo and Fayt, but it was hard to grasp that I had changed species. I still couldn't believe that I was a Felion because not even a minute ago I had been Human.

I looked at Justuo and Fayt; they were staring at me with surprised and shocked expressions. I started to feel a bit embarrassed and looked down at my feet. I could hear them, trying to figure out what had just happened. I kind of came to the conclusion that this was not common at all here in this world.

"What do we do?" I spoke up, trying to get their attention but failed. I rolled my eyes and walked up to join in their discussion about what to do. I had so many questions to ask to learn more about myself and just about everything in this new world, but I decided to hold back for a while. I knew my life had completely changed but I didn't know how much just yet.

Justuo's Point of View

"It seems she's been misplaced in the worlds," Tobi concluded after several sampling of DNA and questioning. "She was probably supposed to have been born a Felion in the Sanctuary or Paranormal World. That's the only logical explanation for a random change in species." Even Tobi seemed slightly stumped by this one. "I'll do more research," he concluded.

"Guess that means we're teaching her the ropes," Fayt said giving me a knowing smile.

"At least she isn't surrounded by a bunch a bone heads for her first experience in the other worlds," Hana muttered, referring to when she, Aki, and I stumbled upon the Paranormal World for our first time. Kimiko smiled at that comment.

"We were just as edgy about it all as you were," I defended.

"Yea, but you and Aki were ecstatic over the smallest of things," Hana continued. "Such as the first time you summoned fire? The first time you sent a detonation?"

"You were excited the first time you demi-equipped," I pointed out.

"Yea, but I didn't over exert myself like the two of you did. Throwing ice and detonations around like they were limitless. You fainted that one time," Hana smirked at the memory I saw pass through her mind.

"Yea, yea," I muttered, waving my hand dismissively. "I've gotten better since then."

"Anyway," Serein interrupted our bantering before Hana could retort something else. "Kimiko, you'll get used to the teasing. There's quite a bit of it around here."

"Serein's right about that one," Tobi agreed.

"Let's hurry along," Fayt began.

"The others are waiting," I continued for him.

"Outside of Zephyr," Serein concluded. Kimiko looked around, utterly confused. This was going to be a bit harder than I thought.

Kairi's Point of View

My head hurt. It was like a constant pulsing of emotions, thoughts, and sometimes images that flowed through the open connection I now shared with Trace. Kiyo and Yomi's minds were easy to block off, but with Trace, it was like a whole new world – kind of like a comparison to the Human World and the Paranormal World.

I could block him out for short periods of time, but if I stopped thinking about keeping it closed off, it opened like a dam breaking. You think Trace would have helped me, but he anticipated it. He talked to me in his free time and acted like we were best friends. How strange can a guy be?

I won't deny it. I talked to him back. I asked about Lightning often. He'd tell me what he could, claiming "he knew what it was like to love somebody you're not supposed to be with." It'd only been two days since I'd gotten the mind connection, and Trace was acting like it had been years. It was strange, but in a creepy way, it was comforting.

"First day of training!" Kiyo said loudly. "Mental training, that is," she corrected.

"You do realize that I'm going to train with you guys when we train with Avi, right?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That's stupid," she declared. "You should rest up."

"Kiyo, I don't have time to 'rest up.' My shoulder doesn't even hurt," I said, a bit irritated. Kiyo's healing session coupled with Lea's healing sessions and Clover's soothing Light magic had made the recovery a fast one. I found it amazing how fast the Human body could recover with the help of magic.

"You still almost died!" Kiyo said, her eyes becoming equally irritated.

"How many times have we all almost died?" I huffed.

"Yea…" Kiyo said, after a moment. "The first time we came here…Yoru almost died. Then you and Yomi almost died. Hmm…Then you almost died again. There were several other occasions as well."

"You're forgetting all those times that Darkness almost took you from us," I added. "And when we were ambushed in the castle by Noel, Midnight, Leo, Raven, Bara, and Echo; we all could've died then. Well, with the exception of Yami. She only had a square drawn on her stomach."

"God, who knows what that freak was going to do to her," Kiyo shuddered.

"She doesn't like talking about it," I muttered.

"We're getting off track. Come on, concentrate," Kiyo said, as she took a deep breath. I closed my eyes and tried to clear my mind. "Open you mind to me and Yomi. Let all thoughts and feelings, images and senses, even smells flow through you." I inhaled and exhaled, allowing myself to relax into my bed and open to everything around me. An onslaught of emotions, thoughts, words, and everything else consumed me.

"Before you panic, start at the very center of your mind and shove with every bit of mental energy you have. Push everything to the corners of your mind before shoving them out of your head completely. After that, block your mind completely." I did as she said. With all my might, I sent a tidal wave of mental energy pulsing through my mind pushing everything out of it that I could. My mind quieted as I held the thoughts and presences at bay. I pulled my walls up, and reinforced them as best as I could.

I was sweating by the time I had finished. My eyes opened and landed on Kiyo. "See how long you can keep it up." I nodded quickly, afraid that if I spoke, I'd break my own wall down. I held it pretty long. Once you pushed everything out, it was easier to hold it at bay; so easy, in fact, that I could walk around and do slightly uncomplicated things such as brush my hair, change my clothes, and walk to the dining hall to meet with the rest of Mpopyya.

"Am I the only one that's starting to dread training?" Yami complained loudly as we all sat around the table for breakfast – good old eggs and bacon.

"I think it's easy these days," Yoru replied.

"You got a head start, though," Kiyo pointed out. "But I like training."

"It's okay," Mizu said with a shrug. "I like sparring more."

"That's part of training," Yomi said with a small laugh.

"I like sparring, too," I admitted. I spooned some jelly onto a biscuit and bit into the warm, sweetness.

"Hey girls," Nightmare said from near us. Yami quickly finished nibbling on a piece of bacon and pulled Nightmare down to her level. She kissed his cheek and beckoned him to sit down beside her. He did, and kissed her cheek quickly.

"How're you?" Yami asked after another small bite of biscuit.

"Good now that I've found you," Nightmare said with a smile.

"Uh huh," Yami said with sarcasm before smiling at him. He pushed a strand of her hair out of her blue eyes before kissing her on the lips gently. I found myself smiling at them before looking over to Kiyo.

"Aww, Yami," Kiyo teased.

"Easy, Twin," Yomi laughed.

"Nightmare, not in public," Yami finally breathed.

"As you wish, milady," Nightmare said with a playful pouting face. I nudged Kiyo to give her an "Aww-they're-so-cute" smile.

"Off to training with you lot!" Night Rider called from behind us. We glanced back and saw him approaching with Fear at his side. Her engagement ring shined brightly in the light, though it was black diamond and didn't glisten a thousand different colors.

"Werdin and his bunch will be joining you later, I'm sure," Fear added, though her tone was a bit bitter in the sense that she didn't like Justuo's feelings for Kiyo.

"Yep. That's what he told us yesterday." It was Kiyo that answered. Fear gave her a loving, sisterly smile before turning a competitive smirk towards me.

"You getting any better against your sensei, Fatewin? I hear he's got some tricks up his sleeve," Fear said, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm getting pretty good," I replied evenly.

"We'll see," Fear said, her smirk growing. "Finish up, and meet us down in the Training Grounds."

"Yea, will do, sis," Kiyo said. Strangely, they called each other sisters. Fear really did care for Kiyo. Often times, Fear pissed me off, though, by saying I needed to become a better Guardian if I was going to be her Guardian. She always criticized me.

We left the dining hall after finishing up our plates. Some of us were already dressed for training, but considering Kiyo, Mizu, and Yomi weren't, we all stopped by their rooms and waited for them to change.

Then we were off to the training grounds. The sun was warming, and the April breeze brought the smell of flowers and earth. It was going to be May soon. Today was April 25, 2011. _It's almost been a year_, I thought to myself. The thought made me smile. A year away from the Human World.

"Hey, you're here," Kiyo said, gaining my attention. I looked up from the green grass that was patchy and clumped on the dirt packed ground. My eyes landed on Justuo, and I felt myself smile. Fayt, Serein, and Hana stood near him, and – who was that?

My eyes found a girl with pointed cat ears on her head and a swishing tail to match; she was obviously a Felion. "Who's your friend?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Justuo glanced down at the short, Felion girl before returning his gaze to us.

"Would you like to introduce yourself?" Justuo asked.

The girl looked a bit uncomfortable. She looked to him and back to us before swallowing. "Sure. I'll introduce myself." She stepped forward, and spoke again. "Though I'm sure you remember me, Kairi, Kiyo." I glanced to Kiyo, wondering if she knew this girl because I sure as hell didn't. "And you as well, Yami, Mizu, Yoru, Yomi," she continued. "My name is Kimiko. Kimiko Shikari."

And then it all clicked.

* * *

**Here's your next chapter. I hope you all enjoy. Review, review, review! Let me know what you think. Please enjoy. *Note: Kimi helped write a piece or two of this chapter, so thank you very much. ^_^ Enjoy!**

**-KF**


	46. What Else Could Go Wrong?

_**~Chapter Forty-Five: What Else Could Go Wrong?~**_

"It's nice to meet you," I said. "Or, well, more like see you again. Well, technically, we've never really met before, but I've seen you around school." Okay, I just needed to shut up. I was definitely making it awkward.

"What she means is, welcome to Zephyr. This is Ash's castle, where we've been staying," Kiyo said, taking over.

"It's beautiful," she said with a smile.

"So, Kimiko, are you planning to stay here?" I asked.

"You can call me Kimi if you want. No need to be formal. And honestly, I'm not sure. I have no idea yet," she admitted.

"Hey, you guys should go get your shorts on. It's going to be a hot one today," Justuo commented.

"Really?" I asked glumly. "We just now changed!"

"And it's cold out here, too," Yomi added.

"For a fire user, you sure do get cold easily," Aki teased.

"Hey, drop it, Queen Icy of the Fairies," Yomi snapped.

"Feisty, as always," Prompto commented.

"_Hentai!_ Gosh!" Yomi shouted

"Oh come on," I said, pinching the bridge of my nose and walking away before more teasing and comments could be said.

Justuo's Point of View

I watched my students retreating back towards the castle. Kiyo's swaying figure would disappear into the castle soon. Ash would greet her. They'd change into the shorts. Kairi would say something about her and Ash being so perfect for each other. I ground my teeth in frustration. Kairi shouldn't even be teasing and joking towards her. She should be telling her about Lightning.

Another little issue that had been a constant in my mind. Obviously, Kairi hadn't told her about it yet. I'm pretty sure there would be a dent in their friendship if she had. I was sick of keeping it to myself when Kiyo deserved to know. I hadn't even told my closest friends, my family, Avalanche. The sudden urge to spill it came over me. I told Kairi I'd give her time to tell Kiyo. It's been long enough.

"I have to tell you something," I said suddenly. Avalanche turned from their stretching, teasing, and chatting to listen to me.

"What's wrong, brother?" Aki asked. Kimi watched in curiosity. I noted that she preferred Kimi instead of Kimiko…yet she hadn't said anything like that in the Human World. New world, new name. It's how it always worked anyway. I spoke again.

"Kairi has been keeping things," I said carefully. "Important things that Kiyo and Ash deserve to know."

"What has she been keeping, Justuo?" Serein asked, stepping forward with concern in her dark, purple-flecked eyes.

"You all know the Vampire that works under Elliot, Lightning," I stated. There were nods from everybody except Kimi. "Some of you know him better than others." My tone was a little bitter at the reminder of my darker days with Elliot and his inner circle. "Kairi has been sneaking out to see him. They seem to be dating, though I'm not really sure what kind of relationship she can have with a Vampire that works for her enemies."

"Kairi has been sneaking around with him?" Aki growled. Strangely, Hana put a hand on his shoulder, trying to keep a calm head. The three of us understood the gravity of the situation better.

_Insane!_ Prompto thought.

_Mutiny,_ Akira thought simply.

"How long?" Fayt asked, sounding concerned. He and Kairi favored each other, and were pretty good friends.

"Who knows? She just told me recently," I replied.

"How do we know he isn't just using her for information?" Aki asked, sounding calmer.

"We don't."

"I wonder how far they've gone," Prompto muttered under his breath. Hana slapped him in the face.

"Pull your head out of the gutter for five minutes, Prompto," Hana snapped.

"I feel like this could be potentially dangerous to Kiyo. I told Kairi I would give her some time to tell Kiyo herself, but she hasn't done it yet. I feel that it's my obligation, for Kiyo's sake," I said, though it still felt slightly wrong. Only slightly. And Kiyo was more important than making my student happy with me.

"Excuse me?" I heard her say from afar. It was Yomi. I turned to see her running towards us with Kairi on her trail. "Did you just say that you are planning on telling Ash and Kiyo tonight?"

"Justuo, no!" Kairi said automatically. Fear flashed in her eyes. "You can't! Justuo, I just need more time!"

Anger tainted me. "Kairi, you've had a few months to tell her. She deserves to know!" I snapped.

"Look, Fairy Boy, she needs more time," Yomi said. Kairi seemed a little surprised that Yomi was actually standing up for her on this issue, and behind her eyes, I could see many arguments between her and Yomi about the subject of Kairi and Lightning's relationship.

"Look, Leech, do you care about your queen or you kingdom at all?" I said, stepping closer to her. Kairi stepped forward protectively.

"Stop it!" she whispered, and it sounded like a beg.

"You need to take responsibility," I spat.

"Kairi," Fayt started, but I held up my hand, because I was pissed now. It was so hard not to punch her.

"I love him!" she cried, and several tears poured down her face. "And I swear I'll tell her when I'm ready."

"You're being selfish," I hissed. I felt a hand on my shoulder, and let it pull me back. I didn't want to lose control here. Not on my kohai and not so close to my love. It was Aki and Serein that had pulled me back. Hana was with them as we moved away from group. I couldn't help what the Darkness inside me made me say. "She deserves to know you're sleeping with the enemy!" It wasn't loud, like a shout, but it was over an "inside voice."

And I saw her really start crying.

Kairi's Point of View

Tears leaked down my cheeks as Yomi put a hand on my back. Fayt glanced back at Justuo before walking towards me. Yomi glared at him, unsure whether to let him do whatever it was he was going to do.

"Kairi, don't cry," he said, stepping past Yomi. "You're friends will see." He put an arm around my shoulders, but I could help the steady flow of tears. Yomi stepped back and groaned. I didn't know why as Fayt tried to calm me down.

"What the fuck was that about Kairi sleeping with the enemy?" Mizu asked as she came up. Yami was with her, looking a bit curious.

"Can you tell them while I calm her down?" Fayt asked.

"Why am I the one always telling people?" Yomi grumbled as Fayt led me away in the opposite direction they had taken Justuo. We stopped a little ways away.

"Listen, you can't cry in front of Kiyo if you're really trying to keep it a secret from her. I'm sure you'll have the chance to tell her. Justuo is just moody. He hasn't let the angel out in weeks. We were supposed to help him with it today, but the Kimi issue sprung up. Calm down, okay?" Fayt's words were sincere. I chose listen to, to trust in this Feavii.

"Okay," I said after a few moments of trying to stop my tears. "I don't want to lose him. I don't want to lose anyone, Fayt. And I feel like I'm going to lose Kiyo as a friend."

"Hope for the best, devinia," he said wisely. "For now, you have to face your protectants and teachers." I nodded, wiped my face, and cleared my head. I could do this.

"Thanks Fayt," I mumbled. He gave me a quick hug.

"You're welcome, Kairi. Now come on," he said ushering me back to an outraged looking Mizu, irritated looking Yami, and an utterly confused Kimi.

"What the fuck, Kairi? You mean to tell me you've been dating that freak on Elliot's side? And how far have you gone? What in the name of the Fates made you do something like this!"

I took a deep breath. "I met him by accident. I fell for him hard because he came back. He spared my life when he was supposed to take it – more than once. He's saved me a lot. He defied Elliot for me. He sneaks here to see me. We leave sometimes, and sometimes we just stay together and talk. I'm so sorry I've kept it from you…"

"And Kiyo doesn't know about this?" Yami asked, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dude, you've seriously got to be kidding me."

"Please let me tell her when I'm ready!" I whispered fiercely. "I will tell her, I just need to be ready when I do."

"I…think that that's kinda cute…but it's still wrong," Mizu said, crossing her arms. "But seriously, how far have you gotten? And how long has it been?" These were questions of curiosity; they weren't accusingly being thrown at me. It was like she just wanted to know.

"We've kissed. And he's bitten me. Only to save me, though, nothing sensual," I said, blushing slightly. "I met him the second day we came to the other worlds."

"Look, Kairi, I won't tell, but you've got to man up some time," Yami said. "I don't like lying to Kiyo, but if she doesn't ask and I don't see anything, I don't see a problem…As _long_ as you don't tell him _anything_ about us or our plans." Her eyes were stern as they stared at me.

"I know, I know," I said quickly. "We never talk about stuff like the war."

"I think it's cute. I won't tell. But she does deserve to know. Keep it in mind," Mizu said. I pursed my lips and nodded. God, what else could go wrong today? I still had to convince Justuo to not tell Kiyo and Ash. If I had him convinced, I had all of Avi convinced.

Or not. When Justuo, Serein, Hana, and Aki came back, he seemed completely normal. He was even smiling and joking towards me. I guessed that meant things were okay for now…

Kiyo and Yoru came out, both dressed for the warm day to come. They joined us, carrying on with their conversation they were having before they came outside. I hope my face wasn't red and puffy with tears. I put on my best fake happiness mood, hoping that as the spar matches began and took place, it would be replaced by a real one.

"Sparring time!" I called in exuberance. "Who's going first? Who's going first?" I chanted like it was a match of life and death. I had to shake the feeling of foreboding I felt at the fact that Mizu and Yami now knew my deepest secret. I didn't know if they would tell. I prayed to the Fates they wouldn't tell. And I prayed that Justuo wouldn't decide to slip up either.

"I think it would be an interesting match if Hana went up against Yoru and Kairi," Fayt said with a mischievous Feavii grin.

Yoru and I glanced at each other before watching Hana smile. "Why would you say that?" I asked, a bit intimidated by Hana and her tough girl attitude.

"You both wield scythes. I think it would be interesting," Fayt said with a shrug.

"I agree with Fayt," Justuo said. "Maybe Hana can teach you a lesson or two in weaponry."

"You up for the challenge, Kairi-kohai, Yoru-kohai?" Hana asked, and I could tell she couldn't help the small smile that was on her face.

Never one to back down from a challenge, Yoru stepped forward. I nodded as she spoke. "We accept."

"Come on then," she said stepping out of the lines of Avalanche and Mpopyya members, including Kimi. I smiled and stepped forward as well. Mpopyya and Avalanche stepped backwards, giving us space to spar.

"I have faith that they may pull through," Fayt said. Respect for Fayt flooded through me.

"I don't know, man. This is Hana we're talking about," Aki said with a laugh.

"My bet's on Hana," Justuo said.

"I can hear you," I said in annoyance and a bit of hurt in his lack of faith in me.

"We'll see," Fayt replied to Justuo as if I hadn't talked. He said it slowly as if watching and contemplating. Hana moved forward more and seemed to fall into a state of concentration – for just a moment – before a sword whipped from what seemed to be an invisible sheath.

With a wave and my hand and a whispering swish, my Kuroyasha was in my right hand. Justuo had been teaching me a few things about staves, so I had a trick or two up my sleeve. Yoru had Shiroyasha summoned soon thereafter.

Yoru darted first. Hana parried her swings with ease. But Yoru wasn't even trying yet. I ran forward to flank Yoru, throwing Kuroyasha forward with momentum. Hana twisted her long sword that was already holding off Shiroyasha so that she caught both blades, tossing them aside with ease.

Due to the twisting blade trick Hana had used, Shiroyasha and Kuroyasha became entangled by the blade. "Shit!" I exhaled as Hana went for an ovary shot – the one Justuo had hit the first time we sparred in the Paranormal World. It was an automatic reaction to protect that side more, so I jumped back, dropping Kuroyasha. She clattered to the ground as I swept myself backwards out of Hana's sword's way.

Hana thrusted the sword towards my neck, and I ducked, attempting a sweep kick like Justuo had taught me. I felt the whiz of her blade swing right by me as I kicked as hard as I could. Hana managed to jump over the sweep kick, but barely grazed my leg with her shoe. Once it was on the ground again, the other foot kicked me in the shoulder, sending me onto my back.

"Kairi!" Yoru shouted. The flash of metal in the air told me she had tossed Kuroyasha to me. I forced myself to finish the back flip onto my knees where I met Kuroyasha's handle with my right hand. With a full circle spin of her hand and blade, I stopped Hana's sword from colliding with my neck.

I stood in her split second of hesitance as she readied herself for her next attacks. Or so I thought. As Yoru came towards her from behind, swinging for her right side, Hana spun, and suddenly her sword was gone. I heavy set spear had replaced it, almost as if it had transformed. And I had a moment of hesitation.

Hana jabbed the wooden handle back into my upper rib cage. There would be a bruise there tomorrow. She stopped Yoru's attack, forcing her backwards with large, offensive steps. I recovered quickly and stood on my feet, forcing the pain from my mind. I quickly went forward, trying to be as silent as possible. With quickened moves, Yoru and Hana clashed weapons. Hana searched for an opening in her defenses.

Just when Hana had Yoru in a fatal position and was saying, "Dead," I slipped my scythe's blade under her chin from behind. Slightly surprised, Hana didn't say anything as the cool metal pressed to her neck. I loosened it slightly.

"Not quite," I said with a smile. Hana tilted her head to the side so I could see her smile. Suddenly, she dropped down and as she did, a hard force knocked my feet from under me and I fell to the ground again.

"Shit," I said as the winded rushed from my lungs. Kuroyasha fell the opposite way I had. With swift actions, Hana was looming over top of me with her spear. It changed again, or seemed to – I really knew she was Demi-Equipping a new weapon. It was a small, hand dagger. She was moving it towards my neck when I saw the two flashes of black and white.

"We win," Yoru said evenly as both blades, Kuroyasha and Shiroyasha, stopped at her throat and right over her heart. One point one way and the other pointed the opposite, caging her between the two.

"I see," Hana said after a few moments. She seemed to have an air of acceptance that made me relax. "Guess that means Fayt won, too." Yoru relaxed the twin scythes, separating them and allowing them to fade away. I felt Kuroyasha return to me as Hana stood from my pinned state. I felt my body relax. She pulled me to my feet.

"You've done well, my students," Hana said. Her dagger left her hand, and I'm guessing it returned to her dimensional pocket. Her dark hair was still pulled back in a pony tail with stray pieces of hair falling loose.

"Thank you, Sensei-Hana," Yoru said with another small bow. I copied her movements.

"Yes, thank you, Sensei-Hana," I said in agreement. "You've taught us well."

"Don't forget that I taught you a lot of that, too," Justuo teased.

"Yea," Hana said with thick sarcasm. "Yea."

I giggled at her tough-love towards Justuo, and to the rest of Avi to be honest. Kimi seemed a bit blown away by her attitude. I'd have to tell her it was normal for Hana later.

"I say Prompto and Yami should go next," Mizu said in a teasing tone. Her words had hidden meaning, and I could tell she was referring to his flirtatious, flamboyant attitude.

"Yea, I'm sure you do," Yami said rolling her eyes and smiling.

"You want to go, eh?" Prompto said with a wink. "Maybe we can go to your bed room to freshen up afterwards."

"No thanks," Yami said with a smile. She pinched the bridge of her nose, unable to help the laughs that bubbled to her mouth.

"You're denying the challenge then?" Prompto asked raising an eyebrow. His blonde stubble and green eyes added to his attractiveness – yes, I'd admit that he was attractive, like a lot of the guys in Avi were – and when he gave Yami a "you're a sore loser" look, her competitive nature came out.

"I'm not denying you a challenge. I'm denying you a chance in bed, you pervert," Yami said. She pulled her gun out of the small holster that rested on her shorts' belt loop.

"Let me cast the protective spell so no one gets hurt," Serein declared. "Bullets can be deadly," she said in a sing song voice. She lowered her voice and murmured something I couldn't understand. When she opened her eyes, she said, "There you go. No bullets will be getting through that."

"Let's go then, kid," Prompto said. He tossed his gun up in the air and watched it spin several times before reaching to catch it. It slipped through his fingers the first time, and he stumbled to catch it with the other hand. "We're good!" he said in relief when he had it in his hand firmly.

Yami shook her head before smiling. "You shouldn't try to show off," she stated with a smirk.

"Don't be jealous, Yami," he teased. "Come on. Let's do this." Yami and Prompto made their way to the sparring area. Mizu watched in contentment. "Ladies first."

Yami shot her gun at Prompto once, who easily side stepped the bullet. Prompto shot twice, right at her feet. She stumbled back as they barely missed her converse shoes. "Come on, princess, get your hands dirty," Prompto teased.

"I'm not a princess!" Yami complained as she shot several more times, moving the gun to follow Prompto's retreating figure. He ran from the bullets, ducking and dodging them with ease.

"Feisty!" Prompto called as her spun around and ran the other way, unloading what I guessed was a whole clip at Yami. She squeaked and ducked down to the ground, covering her head and rolling to make sure he didn't continue trailing bullets towards her. Yami rolled forward, and stood, taking cover behind an armor rack. "Stop running away!" he called as she ducked down, and popped up to send more bullets flying towards him. She waited about three seconds before jumping up and running forward in his direction. Yami released several more bullets on the way.

"I'm only running forward!" she called as she moved closer to him. He twisted around her, dodging her and the bullets. Yami unsheathed her katana quickly, slashing towards him. He jumped out of her reach. With uncanny speed, Prompto reloaded his gun and sent several bullets towards Yami's head. I winced, forgetting about the spell Serein had placed. Luckily, she barely jumped out of the way before they came in contact with her head.

She sheathed her katana and ran, unloading several more bullets as she did. Prompto jumped, spinning out of the way of the line of the bullets. He landed on the ground and sprinted, too. Just as Yami was slowing, Prompto stumbled, almost sending him to the ground. I laughed aloud at the sight, but he recovered quickly. Prompto had always been a klutz during training.

"Lose your footing?" Yami called in jest. Prompto sent several more shots towards her. I watched Yami cautiously try to dodge Prompto's bullets.

"Why are you running, cutie?" he teased. Yami rolled her eyes, and Mizu nudged my arm as she hid a giggle. Yami shot some of her own bullets, and they ricocheted off of the walls due to Prompto's sudden burst of speed. "If you're really considering a relationship, you better get a little faster, or you won't be able to keep up," Prompto taunted.

Yami's eyes glinted with anger. She released five more bullets before pausing to see if any had landed a blow on him. With ease, Prompto ducked down to dodge the bullets. "Too slow, kid. Guess you wouldn't be so good in bed after all." Prompto's flirtatious words made Yami snap (to an extent. Yami doesn't snap or go trigger happy.)

"I've told you, pretty boy, I have a boyfriend. And I'm sick and tired of your preppy, self-conceited words! You're worse than Justuo!" she yelled, releasing three more bullets at him.

Within a split second, I heard Justuo and Aki say, "Oh shit…" One loud gunshot sounded, and Yami blinked in surprise. Six bullet cases lay on the ground, mid-way between Prompto and Yami. I replayed the scene in my mind, slowly.

Prompto had straightened, his face had become completely serious (quite a contradiction for Prompto), and his hand had whipped up quickly in a reaction to Yami's bullets. The one loud bang had actually been three, extremely fast pulls of Prompto's trigger. His bullets had intercepted Yami's, exactly half-way towards him. To the untrained eye, or to even a skilled Sanctian, it would've been hard to catch. But I knew what to look for with Avi after spending several months with them.

Prompto's booster magic accelerated his speed, his sight, and even his smell. He had stopped those bullets with precision that made me shiver.

"Don't call me a pretty boy, Yami-kun," Prompto stated very flatly, reminding me that he wasn't all fun and games, and that Prompto had a side to him like Justuo and Fayt – one that brought out a bit of instability. He was trigger happy after all…

"Y-yes, Prompto-sensei," Yami stammered, a bit wide-eyed at the change. His face lightened and returned his teasing joking self. I pursed my lips in surprise. Note to self: Never tease Prompto's image. Ever.

"I think it's safe to say that I win?" Prompto asked, glancing up at the other Avi and Mpopyya members.

"I'd say so. But you have to admit, Yami's getting good at dodging those bullets," Yomi said matter-of-factly.

"She is," Prompto agreed. "But she needs to get faster than even that. It's possible – look at me." Yami met Prompto's eyes, and I realized he was having a serious moment. "If I can be as good as I am, then so can you."

I often found Prompto inspirational due to his faithful "I'm a Human, and I'm proud to be one" way of living. I found myself smiling as Yami nodded. "I know. Thank you, Prompto-sensei." It was also a little strange to hear Yami call anyone sensei. She wasn't a big fan of our use of the Japanese word for teacher.

"Yea, yea. Come on, then," he said, wrapping and arm around her shoulders and giving her a gentle squeeze before pushing her back off the sparring ground towards the rest of us.

When she got back to us, Mizu nudged her, and Yami rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Mizu," she said under her breath.

"This looks like a bunch of fun and games," I heard Fear call from somewhere near. I glanced over towards the direction she had called. She was standing with a bunch of Ash's inner circle members including Edge, Negative, Nightmare, Rath, Skye, and Ash himself. I wondered idly where Night Rider was.

"We're just doing some sparring," Serein called with a smile.

"Mind if we join? We haven't had a good spar in a really long time," Fear said. It wasn't much of a question. She had started walking over to the clumps of Mpopyya and Avi members.

_Leave it to Fear to break the ice,_ Trace's voice came into my mind unexpectedly. I blinked in surprise, having completely forgotten about him. Had he been watching this whole time?

_Yea, she's good at that,_ I thought back in response. He didn't say anything, and I assumed he was watching through my eyes.

Nightmare's Point of View

I watched the blond headed boy from Avalanche flaunt around Yami as he called out teasing remarks. I ground my teeth at the sight. I'm actually sure that my ears had slipped into view, pinning back at my irritation. I didn't like this at all.

"Easy, friend," Negative said quietly from behind.

"That blond rat better not get any ideas," I grumbled under my breath.

"Self control is key," Ash said. "It's not a very easy key to have, trust me."

"Self control can screw itself," I said glumly. Suddenly, Prompto unloaded a whole clip at my baby girl. I stepped forward, ready to run to her aid and punch Prompto in the face.

"Nightmare, she's safe," Ash chastised, putting his hand on my shoulder. Yami, indeed, dodged the bullets he sent flying at her. I growled under my breath. "I want to see how this unfolds. She must have gotten stronger."

"I hope she shoots him in the head," I muttered. I didn't mind Prompto as a person. He was actually an okay guy. But he was constantly flirting and teasing. He was very flamboyant. I didn't like the fact that he was always flirting with Yami and her sisters. Hell, he even flirted with Kiyo. And Kiyo was forbidden territory in Avalanche due to Justuo's feelings for her.

The onslaught of flirting continued until Yami suddenly shouted out in irritation, shooting three measly bullets. But the words she said triggered Prompto's serious mode. He shot precisely point two seconds after her, three times, so quickly fired that it sounded like one longer shot. All six bullets collided, landing on the ground. I stepped forward involuntarily as instinct to protect my girlfriend.

Negative's hand was on my shoulder before I could step again. "He won't hurt her; I've seen it," he whispered as Prompto said something vague and threat-like. Yami addressed him as _sensei_ – which also boiled my blood – before he turned teasing again.

"I see new fears in you, Nightmare," Fear commented as Prompto gave Yami a half-hug around the shoulders before pushing her back to Kairi and her other friends.

"Shut up," I muttered before she called out to both groups that were training. I quickly made my way to Yami's side, not trusting my eyes of what they'd seen. "Are you okay?" I whispered, embracing her. I had made sure that my tail and ears were well hidden before coming into view of Mpopyya and Avalanche.

"Of course," she said with a smile. "It's just a spar match. We aren't really trying to kill each other."

"I don't like the fact that he's so flirty with you. It really irritates me," I said, looking down as we pulled back. I kissed her gently.

"Jealous?" Yami asked raising an eyebrow after a small kiss.

"Maybe a little," I admitted, lightening my tone.

"You shouldn't be. He's just my teacher. He flirts with everyone," she replied, sounding like she was trying to reassure me.

"I've got my eyes on him," I said lightly. I meant it very seriously though. I would be keeping my eyes on him.

Kairi's Point of View

Nightmare met Yami halfway, and I guessed he had been watching the spar with careful eyes. They hugged and kissed before walking hand in hand back to the waiting groups. His loose t-shirt and sweat pants were dark grey.

Skye and Mizu stood next to each other as well, seeming to be in their own little world. Ash walked to Kiyo's side, but didn't show any affection towards her in their usual way. I guessed Ash was trying not to flaunt it in Justuo's face. He was such a good man.

"Let's keep the spar matches going," Justuo said. Kimi, to my left, was watching everything with thoughtful and slightly confused eyes.

I turned to her and explained, "That's Ash. He's the king of the Paranormal World. That's this world."

She nodded slowly. "Yea, I knew that Ash was the king of the Paranormal World, but I didn't know that was him," she said after a few seconds. "But who are the people that came with him?"

"Those are members of his inner circle. They're kinda like his group of most trusted soldiers. Avi and Mpopyya are the next level he looks to. At least, that's how I look at it," I said with a shrug.

"Oh, I see," Kimi said. She watched Nightmare and Yami's exchange of hugs, pecks, and flirting as we waited for the next sparring pair. She seemed to be over-thinking things.

"I'll introduce you to them later," I reassured her. I realized that's how I was when Misula had first met me. I was scared and nervous, worried that I wouldn't fit into the other worlds. Misula had taken me under her wing and showed me the ropes. I'd do the same for Kimi. It made me miss Misula to death.

"It seems you have a few new members in Avalanche," Ash was saying when I finally pulled my head out of the clouds.

"Kimiko isn't really a member of Avalanche. She's new to the Paranormal World, so we're trying to show her the way," Justuo explained. "And Akira is, well, you know who Akira is."

"I see," Ash said. "Well Kimiko is welcome anytime. Is she traveling back and forth?"

"Well, we aren't sure. This is her first day. We can discuss it later, if you'd like," Justuo said. It was like he had a hidden meaning behind his words. I'm pretty sure I wasn't the only one that noticed either.

"Of course. We can do that," Ash said.

"I'm sure we can get you a room in the castle if we have to," Kiyo said politely.

"That would be great. And hello, your majesty," Kimi said timidly. "My name is Kimiko Cho Shikari."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," he replied, holding his hand out. She took it and they shook hands before he turned to Justuo. "Do they know who Akira is?" He was referring to Mpopyya.

Justuo laughed aloud. "Barely. No one has sparred with him yet," Justuo replied. "Anyone willing to take on Akira?" Justuo asked as if he knew no one would. At first, no one moved.

But then Edge stepped forward, his face serious like always was. His dark coat and pants had to make it hard for him to move around in, much less spar. He also had a dark blue scarf around his neck with ragged ends that looked like it had been torn up. Underneath, I knew his peculiar looking scar that circled his neck was hidden. His thick sword was hoisted over his shoulder, stretching a good six feet long.

"I will," Edge said simply. His dark hair fell in his eyes jaggedly. I glanced over to Kiyo to make sure she was as surprised – and intrigued – as I was. She was. I could tell by her face and the slight pulse of her emotions through our bond.

Akira stepped forward; he was so damn big! Edge, who was pretty tall, even for a Sanctian, wasn't nearly as tall as Akira was. Edge had to be six foot, six inches, but Akira towered over him by over half a foot. Akira wore grungy clothing that seemed ragged, like torn up jean shorts and a loose fitting shirt that had tears and holes in it. He seemed to have the advantage when it came to appearance. But from what Yoru had told us, Edge was a bad ass. And, besides, he had a sword. I wasn't sure of Akira, especially considering we had just met him today. I guess I was a bit curious to see the new guy in Avi and his powers. If there was one thing I learned about Avalanche it was that there was never ever a single member that was normal and boring.

I watched carefully, not sure what to expect. "Are you sure?" Akira asked, taking in Edge's appearance. It was kinda like they had met before. To me, Edge was strongly built and muscular. But Akira was built pretty strongly, too.

"I can handle it," Edge reassured him. I noticed Akira's long, shaggy hair was pulled back out of his face as he and Edge took stances. And then, they clashed. Akira had a strange way of making swipes with his hands, like he was a cat or dog or something. There were several times where Edge would swing his blade towards Akira, and he would just stop it with his hands, despite the strong swing and amazing strength Edge wielded. Akira tossed the blade aside before kicking Edge in the side. He flew sideways, and fell to the ground.

With nimble speed and precise movements, Akira jumped towards Edge, kinda like a wolf would do. I watched his interesting way of movement, wondering what species he was. Could he be a Canian? Maybe a Felion? He towered over Edge had the chance to kick Akira off – or try to. Akira was a brick wall. When he failed to kick Akira away, Edge slid backwards out from under Akira. He moved just in time for Akira's nails to scrape his flesh.

Akira turned to see Edge gripping his sword, and thrusting it towards Akira. He kicked it aside, and it fell to the ground with a clatter. Edge immediately went into offense. He punched, kicked, dodged, and rolled. Akira and Edge were too fast for me to keep up. Several punches to the chest, and Edge had slowed down a good bit. Akira took advantage of this by stepping closer and closer as if closing in on him Edge rolled under his oncoming arms.

I had been so caught up in the fight that I hadn't realized it had been a long match. "It's going to have to be called a draw. We don't have all that much time," Justuo finally said. My eyes snapped back to him, and I realized it had to have been at least twenty minutes. Probably more than that.

Akira was a formidable opponent if he could go up against Edge for so long. Maybe it was just his size. But something told me there was more to it than that. I would have to watch Akira to realize his secrets.

"That was incredible," Yoru whispered to me. "When I first met him, after he and Nocturne fought, I couldn't imagine anyone beating him. He did kick Nocturne's ass…"

"I guess this Akira guy must be a bad ass. Or maybe Edge was just holding back on him," I whispered back.

"He had to have been," Yoru said after a moment as if recalling his fight with Nocturne she had watched. I hoped Avi hadn't heard us talking to make fun of us for it later.

"I think a good pair would be Serein and Yomi versus Negative and Nightmare," Fear said sweetly.

"What?" Yomi demanded. "You want me to go up against Negative?"

"Sure, why not? You and Serein get along well, right? Negative and Nightmare are good friends. You can each cooperate with your team mate," Fear said with a shrug of her shoulders. Her dark hair was in a loose ribbon that matched the electric blue streaks running through it. A few of her bangs hung down in her face, and as she spoke, it moved loosely.

"I can't stand the thought," Yomi said.

"Come on! It won't be so bad, Kiyomi-kohai," Serein said, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her towards the sparring area.

"That's my cue, babe," Nightmare said with a smile. He pecked Yami's cheek before following Serein, Negative, and Yomi.

"Don't beat him up too bad, Twin!" Yami called after Yomi. "I still have to deal with him tonight, and complaints get very annoying!" I giggled at her teasing calls, thinking Yami and Nightmare's relationship was so cute.

Kimi stated, "He smells strange. Kinda like he smells familiar." I glanced at Nightmare as he took stance next to Negative.

"Well, maybe it's because he's a Felion," I explained. Yomi summoned her twin daggers, Judgment and Forgiveness.

"He is? Where's his ears and tail then?" Kimi asked.

"He keeps them hidden away, I guess. That's what Yoru told me, anyway," I replied, watching the spar begin. Nightmare and Negative watched as Serein pulled her shuriken from her back, twirling one of them on the chain as she waited.

"Let's go," Negative said to Nightmare. They both crouched at the ready. Yomi darted forward first, avoiding Negative direction and running towards Nightmare instead. Serein's shuriken flew towards Negative, but he moved out of the way easily. It clattered to the ground several feet from him. She yanked it back as he ran around it, right towards her. She sent the other shuriken towards him, holding onto the chain and sending bursts of wind to give it more speed.

Negative slid forward on his knees as the shuriken blade spun above him, just barely missing his white hair as it whizzed by. He sweep-kicked at Serein's feet, but she jumped, landing on one of his feet so she had him pinned.

Yomi, who was completely engrossed in a hand-to-hand battle with Nightmare, didn't notice, which I was thankful for. She would've gone to his aid, despite the fact that he was sparring _against _him and Serein was her ally.

Things started getting a little confusing after that. With speed that was so fast that I only saw a blur, Negative had kicked Serein backwards, and he was already running for Nightmare's aid. It was like Negative was teleporting. One second he was running, and then he was pushing Yomi's hands that held her daggers away from Nightmare's chest. Nightmare seemed completely at ease with this. Serein and Yomi seemed a little put off, despite the fact that Yomi knew of Negative's power; he could control time with complete ease.

This was Negative's secret weapon. Serein came forward, making a quick recover, especially considering it had been five seconds since he had kicked her back. It was hard to keep up with, and easy to lose sight of Negative. A shuriken flew towards Nightmare, but Negative seemed to have caught it and began running around Serein with speed I didn't think he had. Maybe he had slowed time down to everyone else except for him. I wasn't sure, but I continued to watch the intense match unfold. Serein, catching on, quickly did a front hand spring out of the way of the chain that was her weapon, continuing to hold the other shuriken in her free hand. The chain was pulled tight, stopping both of the pursuing bad asses. Serein gave a strong tug on the chain, but Negative held firmly.

"We've reached a standoff. I'm impressed with your skills," Serein finally said. "But if you can use magic, then so can I, do you not agree?"

"I'd be delighted to see you magic skills, Serein," Negative said with an actual smile. I then noticed, behind them, Nightmare and Yomi dodging and attacking with swift blows. Nightmare was dominating with fast reflexes, despite the fact that Yomi was a Vampyre and could probably go the same speed. He was just too quick for her.

Wind blew softly through the training grounds then causing my hair to caress my exposed skin. Serein was smiling, looking content as she beckoned the wind to bend to her will. I was finding out a lot about Avi from this spar match than I thought I'd ever know. "I feel like I've stepped into a movie," Kimi whispered as she watched the wind begin to whip up faster. I couldn't help but smile, remembering how I felt when I first had entered the Sanctuary. Serein's platinum blond hair flew around her in wisps.

Negative was blown sideways, crashing into Nightmare, who was at least seven feet away from him. It must've been a strong gust of wind to have blown him so hard as to throw him into his partner. Yomi made a small squeak noise after watching Negative crash into Nightmare. She retreated, despite the urge to help Negative I felt course through our bond.

Serein jerked her other shuriken back to her, swooping down with graceful movements and darting forward to Negative and Nightmare's recovering figures. Negative jumped up as Nightmare took on stance to fight off Serein. Yomi ran forward a second or so later. And things got really crazy.

Negative and Nightmare were suddenly behind Serein and Yomi. I blinked, to make sure I wasn't seeing things. I replayed the scene through my head, trying to see something, anything that would explain this. Just before they disappeared, I noticed Negative had tapped Nightmare. I guessed that he had either frozen time completely besides the two of them or slowed it down dramatically to give the effect of teleporting.

Negative quickly immobilized Yomi, obviously being gentle with his love. Nightmare had a tougher time with Serein, who kept slipping from his grasp and dodging his attacks. After a few minutes of this, it was called off short. The ending winner would never be known.

All four of the warriors returned to their places, some panting and sweating and some just a little winded. Serein seemed fine even though it had been an exhilarating match. "That was good one, Serein," Fayt said giving her a small hug. She smiled brightly and hugged him back before pecking him on the cheek.

"Who wants to go up against me?" Fear said with a smile. "I've been itching to get some actually challenging training in."

"If it's a challenge you're looking for, then Aki and I are the ideal choice," Justuo said with a cocky tone.

"Oh god," Kiyo whispered to me. I tried to hold in a snicker.

"This should be…interesting," Yoru said from near her.

"Oh yea, it will definitely be _interesting._ Fear is going to get some time to play for once in a good while," Nightmare chuckled. Yami, still holding his hand, nodded in agreement. Kimi looked in between us, trying to keep up with the statements.

"F…ear?" Kimi asked.

"She goes by Fear. No one knows her real name except for Ash and Night Rider, her fiancé," Kiyo explained quickly as Fear began to speak.

"You want a challenge?" Fear mused raising an eyebrow. "I think Kairi and I may just be able to take you." Fear's mention of my name brought me up short.

"What?" I asked.

"You think having my student on your side will give you the upper hand, eh?" Justuo challenged.

"The more the merrier," Aki added. "We can take you both."

"Come on, Fatewin," Fear called as she walked towards the training grounds.

"I'm…sparring with you?" I wondered, slowly following her retreating figure. Justuo and Aki jogged ahead of me. Justuo ruffled my hair as he passed.

"Come on, kohai! Let's spar so I can kick your ass," he teased. Aki said some other retort in Japanese that I could've understood if I took the time to listen.

"I have Fear on my side. Are you so sure you'll be kicking my ass?" I said, feeling a bit reassured to be standing with Fear than against her. I do believe it was a first.

"We'll see," commented Aki.

"Take your stance, Fatewin," Fear said. She took a stance as well, and I suddenly realized I had never seen her spar. Maybe this would be interesting. "Hmm, you have very…interesting fears," she mused. "You fear your own?"

Aki and Justuo glanced at each other, probably talking to each other through their mind connection. I raised an eyebrow smugly. In unison, they darted forward, both going in opposite directions. Embers and frost gleamed in their hands. I prepared to face Aki. Fire and ice, right? At least I had a small chance against him. If I was quick enough.

"Let's try this," Fear said, swishing her hands in a strange motion. Aki jumped back, sudden, stopping right in his tracks.

"What the…?" he started before glancing to the onlookers and then back to the empty air in front of him.

"Come on, Aki!" Justuo shouted as he charged towards Fear from the right. I summoned some fire, and started to flank her before Justuo froze in his place, eyes wide. I raised an eyebrow before a smile crept onto my face Fear was using her ability, right from the start.

"Holy shit!" Justuo shouted as he stepped back several feet. Some of the other members of Avi that were watching knew what was going on due to their mind connections to Aki and Justuo. It was all in their head. This was one way for Fear to use fear against her enemies.

"Let's make a show of things," she said, waving both of her hands in outward circles. "Hana…Snakes…" she whispered. Hana? I glanced over to see Hana looking slightly amused. When I returned my gaze to Justuo and Aki, I was surprised to find snakes all over the sparring field, and an illusion of Hana staring Aki down. Aki's fear was Hana. Huh, who would've thought?

"As I said, interesting fears," Fear said. "There are others here, as well, but let's keep it clean."

Fear must've made them reality, so that everyone would be able to see the two Feavii's fears. I watched, intrigued as the fake Hana approached Aki. "I'm not scared of you," he said, waving his hand dismissively.

"Oh yea, you little pervert," she said sounding like she was simmering on the inside. "Remember when you pulled the string on my bathing suit at the beach in Notilkos?"

Aki took a step back. "Eh, that's happened too many times for me to remember one time," he said. I swear, he was just like a little perverted guy from an Anime. With swift moves, she had ex-equipped a large metal sort of sword – more like a club, honestly.

"Exactly," she hissed. And I admit, even I was a little scared by the aura she was emitting. And then, the chase began. He took off running, throwing ice darts towards her as she cursed and shouted at him in Japanese. Kimi, I couldn't help but notice, was laughing.

Meanwhile, Justuo was trying to get past the snakes that were slithering towards him. I had never seen my sensei so freaked out. I laughed aloud, and I could hear other members from Mpopyya laughing as well. One of them was undoubtedly Yomi. Fire suddenly washed the snakes away, and Justuo was on the move.

With the smoke and flames cloaking Justuo, I relied on Fear's movements to help me. She ducked down, pushed me out of the way of one of Justuo's butterfly-kicks, and sweep kicked him. I heard him hit the ground, and quickly stood. Fear grabbed my wrist, pulling me into the dissipating smoke.

She jerked me forward, waving her free hand above our heads, producing more smoke to cloak us. "Come on, Fatewin," she breathed, moving silently and guiding me through the dark clouds. "Use your ears. I can't keep covering for your ass."

It seemed that time slowed then. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and cleared my mind. I felt for the magical resonances. It was hard to decipher them; so instead, I used my ears, as Fear had told me. Emotions that weren't mine flowed into me. At first, I thought they were Kiyo, Yomi, or Lancer's, but they became more prominent. Fear and exhilaration, if you can consider that an emotion. I felt my eyebrows knit together. The essence behind the emotions became clearer and clearer, and I realized whoever they belonged to was getting closer.

Footsteps that weren't Fear's came from behind. I back kicked, keeping my eyes sealed shut. I struck someone, and quickly spun to throw a punch at whoever I had hit. But they caught my hand, and my eyes snapped open. I was jerked forward. Suddenly, I felt my whole body tingle. With swift, uncontrolled movement, I slammed my knee into their rib cage. They released my arm, and my leg kicked them backwards.

I wasn't controlling myself! What was going on! I darted through the slowly dissipating smoke, finding Fear. Then, I leaned close to her ear and said, "Looks like you could use some help considering Kairi doesn't have much experience with Feavii." My voice was slightly deeper, different, strange! Someone had possessed me? It hadn't happened since I was living in the Human World! But…this was definitely different. I knew what I was doing. I saw it clearly. I was just being controlled.

"Trace?" she whispered, raising an eyebrow. And then it made sense. Trace thought it'd be nice to give me a little help. I didn't need it! "You probably shouldn't. This is our spar, after all."

Was that a hint of flirting tone in her voice! _Get out! This is my body!_ I snapped. _And my spar!_

"Maybe you're right," he said aloud, and I wasn't sure if it was to me or to Fear. "I'll come back some other time, then. Maybe _we_ can spar, Fear." My knees became shaky, then, and Fear had to grab my arm and shake me some to get me to not fall.

"Pull it together, Fatewin," she said gruffly.

"Oh my god, what the hell just happened?" I demanded.

"Later. Later," she said. "But for now, duck!" Fear gave me a rough shove before I fell to the ground, barely falling out of Justuo's punching range. The smoke had pretty much cleared by now. Aki was still dealing with the fake Hana. I guessed it was Justuo that I had kneed in the ribs – or maybe it's better if I say that _Trace_ kneed in the ribs.

"Poison!" Fear shouted at Justuo. It didn't take long for her next illusion to manifest, or take place, rather. Justuo started freaking out, saying something about being bit by one of the snakes, when that clearly wasn't the case. It seemed like Aki was having the same effect. The fake Hana disappeared before their confused states lessened.

"I think it's safe to say that we win, eh, Fatewin?" Fear asked as if the Trace ordeal hadn't happened at all.

"Yea, I'd say so," I replied, putting on a reassuring smile. Aki and Justuo were themselves within several seconds of that comment.

"That's some gift," Justuo said as he wiped the sweat from his brow.

"Cheater," Aki muttered.

"I wouldn't call it cheating, macho boy," Fear said with a smirk.

"How does that fear thing even work?" Yami asked.

"I'll show you all, if you'd like?" Fear said mischievously.

Ash chuckled. "What a lovely idea, Fear," he commented. She beamed before closing her eyes. I glanced around uneasily.

"Yami, you're being swarmed by bees. Mizu, you're drowning in water. Yomi, Negative is dead. Yoru, they're everywhere. You can't escape them. Kiyo, sis, I'm sorry, but you've failed…" As she spoke, it was almost like she was reading it from a piece of paper. Each time she'd finish a sentence, they'd drop to their knees or scream, showing some sign of weakness, or complete fear. "Fayt, you've accidently eaten meat. I think it was a deer. Sorry. Serein, I do believe Aki and Justuo have stolen your shuriken again. Hana, there are bugs, everywhere! Run! Prompto, you keep missing your target; stop wasting ammunition! You just broke your favorite gun, way to go. Aki, Hana's going to kill you. She's really pissed off. Justuo…hmm…," she paused, but kept her eyes closed. "That's too low of a blow. There are snakes everywhere. They're climbing all over you."

What was too low of a blow? I watched Justuo's face go blank with fear. With each fear that was presented, I felt even more scared. It was like a tidal wave of fear was flowing through me. It wasn't my own fear, though…I shuddered when she finally turned to me. "Kairi, you're surrounded with spiders. They're crawling all over you."

As her words left her mouth, I felt them become real. I felt them on me, slowly crawling up my arms, my legs, my clothes, even in my hair. When I saw them on my arms and crawling towards me, I screamed, shaking my arms and jumping to get them off of me. I let my long hair down from my hair bow and shook it, trying my hardest to get the hell away from them.

When I came to my senses, I was curled up on the hot stone walkway, sweating like crazy. Kimi, Kiyo, Mizu, and Yami were also on the ground. Yoru looked unsettled. Yomi was on her knees along with several members of Avi. "Don't ever do that again!" I gasped, stumbling to get up. My throat was raw from the screaming.

"It was fun," she said with a shrug. "That's how it works. It's all in your head. You're in your own personal hell. I can also summon the real thing, turn into the real thing myself, or make a solid illusion or fake copy of the real thing. You could say I'm the master of all fear."

"Interesting," Serein said. She, like most members of Avi, except for the one or two exceptions that were getting up from kneeling stances, looked unsettled and uncomfortable. There was unrest in the air.

"Lunch break, I'd say," Rath called. "Let's take a good break, rest up, cool down."

"Thank you so much, Rath!" several members of Mpopyya moaned.

"Come on, kiddies," Prompto called. He put an arm around Yami and Mizu, who were both holding their boyfriends hands. Talk about a ladies' man. I rolled my eyes. I walked up to Fear's retreating figure.

"Hey," I said softly. She glanced over, and raised an eyebrow.

"Yea, what is it, Fatewin?" she asked.

"You won't…tell anyone about what Trace did, will you?" I whispered hesitantly.

"If Ash asks, I'll tell him. If not, I don't see why I should mention it," she said with a shrug. I pursed my lips to hide a smile.

"Thanks, Fear," I said.

"Oh shut up, Fatewin. It's nothing. Go catch up with your friends, would you?" Fear wasn't the closest person to me in the castle, but she did watch out for Mpopyya. We sort of had a rivalry thing. Fear was awesome, though. You had to love Fear, even if she didn't love you. I jogged forward to catch up with Yoru and Kiyo. Yomi was with Negative. Fayt and Serein spoke near us. Justuo, Aki, and Akira were together, talking. Hana and Kimi were near us, too, but they didn't speak. When Kimi saw me, she walked to our little group, seeming nervous. I smiled a warm welcome. She smiled in return.

And that's how we walked to the dinning hall.

Lightning's Point of View

"Way to go," Trace muttered. He sat the stone basin down on the side table beside my bed. "Master Elliot is pissed off and storming around." I didn't say anything as he sat down beside the bed I was laying on. Trace soaked a new, clean wash cloth in the water and alcoholic mixture. I sighed heavily, grimacing when it hurt my chest. Trace drained the cloth over my bare chest. My fangs slipped out as my teeth and fists clenched in pain.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Trace mused as he gently dabbed the gash. Again, I didn't say anything. Trace continued. "I trained you and Justuo to be perfect weapons. You were both strong, and full of potential. You both still have potential. I taught you Darkness and trained you harshly. But I didn't do it alone. Raven and Razor were both there to help. They were your teachers just as much as I was. They were also both aligned with the Fates. It doesn't surprise me that he hurt you so badly. It actually surprises me that he didn't kill you."

Ash Trace spoke, he continued cleaning my wounds. My mind seemed to become numb. I felt a magical resonance grow closer. Midnight entered my room timidly, looking scared. I glanced up at her before squeezing my eyes shut as Trace poured more of his alcoholic concoction onto my wounds.

"Master," she whispered, scampering over to him and sitting in a chair next to his. Trace looked at her knowingly. I watched in curiosity until he finally spoke.

"Master Elliot thinks the best way for you to heal is to drink from Midnight," Trace said. I felt my eyes widen in surprise. It only took a split second for me to reply rationally.

"No," I said automatically. "I'm not feeding from your prodigy."

"She's your fiancée," Trace said coldly. Disdain was clear in his voice. I saw that flash of pain in Midnight's eyes, but other than that flash, her composure of numb and uncaring never faltered.

"And she's your creation," I countered evenly. Trace's eyes flashed red, and the rag in his hand dropped to my chest. He stood forcefully, knocking his chair backwards.

"Master Elliot is already pissed off enough, and it's because you fucked up with that stupid, trampy, wanna-be Guardian! So you're going to make him happy even if I have to knock you unconscious and cut Midnight's wrists! We don't have time for games, kohai!" Trace snarled He exploded like this all the time. His words didn't faze me, but they sure as hell fazed Midnight. She whimpered at the mention of her name.

Such a push over when it came to Holy Master Trace. She could go and run her mouth to Kairi and her friends all she wanted, or even talk trash to some of Ash's inner circle members, but when it came to Elliot and Trace, she was a weak little puppy-dog.

Trace calmed down when he realized Midnight was scared. He knew she was unhappy about the marriage and completely terrified of Elliot's wrath. Hell, everyone in the castle was. Trace sighed and his eyes and fangs returned to normal (reminding me that my eyes were still red.)

"If Master Elliot isn't happy then no one will be. Let him feed from you. It's an order," he murmured to Midnight. I ground my teeth together as he left the room. Irritation coursed through me. I didn't want to drink from Midnight.

But the thought of sweet blood tainted my mind causing hunger and thirst to gnaw at my insides. Sadly, it wasn't Midnight's blood that my being wanted to be quenched by. I wanted Kairi's. The thought of Kairi's blood made my mouth water with a mixture of venom and my saliva. The one time that I had tasted Kairi's blood was embedded into my mind forever. She was like a flower that bloomed once every million years, and I was special enough to have just a small glance. It almost physically hurt just to think of her taste.

Kairi's scent was just a tease, almost a preface to the girl that I loved most. It was almost a floral smell, but not any flower I'd ever smelt before. She was unique, and that scent was something of a small tease of the true nectar within her veins.

Midnight's shaky voice broke through my delicious thoughts. "Here…," she whispered. She stood and moved her hair, baring her neck. "I'll come to you." Blood was always sweetest from the neck, and Midnight knew that. But it was too much of a hassle for me to move.

"From your wrist," I muttered in defeat. She let her arm drop to her side before picking Trace's chair up and righting it on its four legs. She then sat down in it.

"As you wish," Midnight said holding her wrist out to me. I started to force my arms up to get a good grip on her hand and forearm, but she said, "Allow me." She pressed her wrist to my lips before I could move my burning and aching ones. At this range, I could smell her blood. The scent burned my throat; I hadn't fed in so long.

My lips parted, and Midnight slid her wrist into my mouth. I bit down, breaking the skin and allowing the lush blood to spill into my mouth. A small whimper came from Midnight before I was lost in the taste and wanting of bloodlust. It was like fire on my tongue, exploding to life and bringing strength to me, slowly. As the blood spilled down my throat, power filled my limbs and being. My eyes were squeezed shut in the pleasure that was building inside me.

I heard Midnight moan – not a satisfied one – and knew that that was too much. I had taken too much. My eyes snapped open, and I forced my jaw to unclench. It took a lot of self control due to my instincts that knew I was in need of major recovery. Midnight was weakly leaning on my bed. Her wrist was bleeding steadily and had fallen from my mouth.

"Are you okay?" I asked, my voice sounding husky.

"Tired," she whispered softly.

"I took too much. Why did you not pull away?" I asked, not knowing what to do with her limp figure. My mind was blown for the time being. Midnight, being at least five hundred years old, was much older than me. Midnight was stronger with her age, and had been trained longer by Trace. She could've been a little assertive.

"Maybe if you had kept going, we wouldn't have to deal with all the problems I have caused," Midnight breathed. Her voice had become broken and sorrowful. I realized then that she and Trace hated this whole wedding ordeal as much as I did – if not, more. Whether Trace liked to admit it or not, he had feelings for Midnight, even if they weren't as deep as they were for Kiyo. And Midnight was completely Trace's, in more than one way. She loved him like he was her sunrise and sunset. I realized how much I was like that with Kairi.

"You didn't cause all of this," I finally sighed. She pushed herself up weakly. Her skin was paler, her eyes burning a dull burgundy. Her face was sallow as she forced herself upright, slumping back in the chair when she finally did.

"I want Master to love me…," Midnight whispered, breathing heavily from the blood loss. I began searching for Trace's mind because I knew Midnight was about to faint. Finding it, I broke through the mind blocks easily because he knew it was my essence trying to get in.

Before I could tell Trace about Midnight, he thought, _I know. I'm coming back._ Then I was pushed from his mind. My eyes snapped open just in time to see Trace open the door. He wasn't frantic and anxious, but knowing and wise like he had been many times during training sessions.

"Come here," Trace sighed gently to Midnight. He went to her side and lifted her in a cradled position, much like I had carried Kairi to Ash's castle so long ago. With all her might, she held onto him.

"Master," Midnight murmured. Trace sat down with her in my leather love seat near my bed. I felt like I was intruding even thought it was _my_ room. He bit his wrist and forced it into her slightly opened mouth.

"Drink," he commanded. Her eyes slipped closed in bliss. Trace looked to me as she continued to drink from his wrist. His face was solemn. His now reddish green eyes that were stuck in that in between stage seemed to stare right through my soul, reading everything about me. I closed my own eyes. A sigh slipped between my clenched teeth. I wanted Kairi. Her still body flashed before my mind's eye, and I felt myself losing the little bit of control I did have.

Trace was a hypocrite! He loved Kiyo; we all knew it! But I wasn't allowed to love Kairi? How is that fair? She had _died _because of me! She was dead now because of Trace and Elliot! I had lost my life because of Trace and Elliot! My anger tampered with the Darkness within me. I began to feel better as the Darkness consumed the anger, feeding off of it.

Midnight's blood had strengthened me, and my burns were slowly closing. The ashen, dead skin became flaky and peeled off. My bloody red eyes opened, falling on Trace who had a now sleeping Midnight in his arms. Before I could snarl the statement I wanted to say, Trace spoke.

"Lightning, I promise you, she lives."

My automatic reply was harsh. "How do _you_ know? Have you seen her yourself?"

Trace looked a bit annoyed when he replied. "I spared her life. And I also have created a mind connection with her. She's fine." This made all the Dark sarcasm dry up.

"She's alive?" I whispered.

"She is. As well as Kiyo and the rest of those children," Trace mused. Silence filled the room as the fact sank in. My Kairi…confirmed to be alive. When I opened my mouth after many moments in the long silence, I was cut off. The cool chill in the air and extreme magical resonance that pressed into the room said enough. My bed room door creaked open to reveal Elliot. My face paled, and I could sense that Trace had gotten uncomfortable.

"Who is still alive?" Elliot asked in a quiet, dangerous voice that reminded me of the times before when he was displeased and took it out on Midnight or random servants around the castle.

Trace stood, lying Midnight beside me on the bed. At the time, I didn't really care. He quickly approached Elliot and said, "Master Elliot, if it isn't too much of a hassle, may we take this to the throne room?" Elliot's eyes narrowed at him. Before saying a reply to Trace, he turned his icy glare on me

"You seem to be feeling much better, Azarath. I want you there." He turned to face Trace again. "Let's go." Elliot swept from the room, leaving Trace and me alone with the exception of Midnight who was still out cold beside me. I stood quickly, only feeling an ache of pain in my chest. With new strength, I walked to Trace's side.

"What are you going to tell him?" I asked.

"The truth. Excluding the mind connection with Kairi. If he finds out I made one, he will be furious," Trace said.

"He's already furious," I retorted hotly.

"Exactly why _you_ can't lie," Trace snapped. He growled something under his breath before continuing. "Don't tell him about the mind connection. He would sever it. And that could permanently damage Kairi's mind."

The mention of Kairi's safety silenced the smart ass comment I was about to say. Trace gave a cocky smirk before turning, and leaving my room. I growled in frustration, retracted my fangs, and followed after him.

Once inside Elliot's throne chamber, we bowed deeply and sank to one knee. "Rise," Elliot said. We obliged, and faced his sharp glare. "Who was it you said was alive, Trace?" he asked evenly.

"Kairi, Master," Trace replied sounding angry. "She has cheated death again. I have failed you." Trace sank to his knees. Elliot's anger was so tangible that the air seemed to quiver with it. He stood, slowly walking from his throne which lay upon a platform with several stairs leading to the level floor Trace and I stood on. Elliot walked slowly, increasing the tension in the room until he finally stopped in front of Trace's kneeling figure.

"You were in a rush to leave her there. That makes me think you meant for her to live." Elliot's tone sent fear skittering through my being.

"No, Master, I merely wanted to wipe my hands with the situation; to be done with it. I felt her magical resonance fade away. I thought she had died," Trace replied calmly. "I am at fault, Master. Forgive me for my mistake."

"Rise," Elliot snapped. Trace obeyed him without hesitation. Elliot raised his hand quickly; I would've flinched at such a movement, but Trace didn't even blink. Elliot grazed his sharp finger nail across Trace's cheek, drawing blood. Trace stayed still, awaiting his next action or words. The wound closed, leaving only the wet, sticky blood left behind.

"You need punishment," Elliot declared. "Worthy enough of treason! But death is too surreal. Besides, you are my favorite, and I cannot lose a favorite. And because you are my favorite, I will give you a choice." Elliot paused for a thoughtful moment before a sly smile painted his lips. Elliot was really mad considering he was treating Trace like one of his other generals. It was one of those days that he didn't use mercy. "A thousand lashes with sterling silver or starvation for two weeks," Elliot sneered. My stomach churned painfully at the thought of either. Every Vampire knows if they're deprived from blood for that long, they're more than likely going to die. We can sustain ourselves on food for a good while without blood, but without blood, we will die. But we do not need food to survive. Either way, without blood and food, we will die.

And silver was one of our worst nightmares. Shuddering, I watched the indecision flicker in Trace's eyes. Elliot began to pace around us slowly, almost like a shark circles his prey. "The silver," Trace finally said smoothly. Elliot let out a dark chuckle before stopping in front of Trace.

"I may even make it a public view like the last time you spared that child's life. Have we gotten weak and soft, Trace? Why _did_ you spare Kairi's life?" A chilled chuckle slithered around us. "Ah, because of Kiyo. Of course. It's always Kiyo." Elliot's amused sarcasm dried into dark, simmering anger. "I tire of these children, barely escaping death for such small and merely random reasons."

Trace stayed quiet. Elliot released a maniacal laugh before continuing. "You are both ignorant. Loving your enemies." Inky fog vaporized behind Elliot as he began to pace again. The inky fog took form as a smoky image of Kairi and Kiyo. I gasped at the foggy incarnates of the two as they became solid, looking only slightly different than the real girls.

"Love is weakness. It leaves you defenseless," Elliot said. As if his words had been a trigger, the two illusions sprang to life. Kiyo ran to Trace, who froze as she caressed his arm lovingly. Their gazes met, and Trace seemed pained.

Kairi walked up with her familiar smile and beautiful eyes. She wrapped her arms around me, and I instantly forgot it was an illusion – and about the ghost of an ache in my chest. Her touch sent shivers of pleasure down my spine, and my arms automatically wrapped around her. Kairi's lips met mine fiercely instead of our gentle, soft kissing. They were hungry, and they made me hunger for her taste.

Before our kiss could get any deeper, a swish blew by my ear. My eyes popped open to see Elliot baring the Sword of the Sanctuary, and the illusion of Kairi slipping to the floor and fading into the inky dust from whence it came. My heart was hammering, and my breathing was hitched. Elliot looked disgusted. Kiyo's illusion was gone, too, thought Trace seemed affected by them just as much as I was.

"So weak," Elliot mused. "So soft and _humane._" I stayed silent. Back-talking or arguing was futile and resulted in punishment when he got like this. So I waited for him to continue. "Kiyo will climax soon. Maybe I will dispose of her then. And that wretchedly weak Guardian will go down with her."

"Only to be reborn again, Master," Trace said, again showing his amazing self-control and calmness. Elliot's anger flared again as he began to furiously pace.

"I am aware, Trace!" Elliot practically roared. "Killing at birth is easier than killing at full strength, don't you agree? Kairi has put up quite a fight before, has she not? Especially after she has been trained. She's lethal. Do you need reminding of your near death experience at Kairi's hand?"

Elliot's words were like sharp ice shards cutting through Trace's calm composure. "That wasn't my fault!" he snapped. "If Nuella hadn't been there, I wouldn't have had problems killing Primela off, and even Chrisia!" His use of their names from past lives made me realize he was truly on the defense. If my memories did me justice, Nuella was Yoru, Primela was Kairi, and Chrisia was Kiyomi.

"Excuses!" Elliot sneered. "You know how strong she can get! Yet, you refuse to end her while she's still weak! All for a girl that you can never have!" His harsh words made Trace flinch. Anger and ragged agony tortured his facial features.

"You wouldn't understand; you've never loved another as I have loved Kiyo." His voice was fragile and a surprise to me. I had only heard him this way several times, and it was a rare sight. Justuo had seen him the last time he'd done this. Kiyo brought this side of him out.

"Love is weakness!" Elliot hissed. "It makes you this way." He waved his arm to Trace as if to show _me_ an example of weakness. When I said nothing, and Trace stayed silent, lost in his own tortured memories, Elliot turned his back to us, obviously too mad to speak. The tension built as the silence stretched on.

"Lightning," Elliot stated finally. I tensed at my name. "Come forward." Elliot walked to his throne, slowly, before sitting down in it to face us. I drew a deep breath before stepping forward as he had said.

"Yes, Master?" I asked, forcing the disgust from my voice.

"You love Kairi Fatewin?" Elliot asked simply. I took another slow, deep, and soothing breath before answering him.

"I am in love with Kairi Lin Fatewin, Master," I said truthfully, looking him in the eyes. The loud truth hung in the air and felt foreign to my ears. Elliot's eyes flashed, and pain course through my head and intrude my mind. He pushed his control into my being, and I felt myself sinking to my knees in response to the incredible pain of my head splitting.

"Do you love her to _death_, Lightning?" Elliot whispered in my mind before everything went black.

* * *

**This is one of those really long chapters…Sorry for the wait! I have had quite a bit to do and quite a bit on my mind lately, so bear with me. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter. Feel free to criticize or fix or whatever, just let me know! Please please enjoy! I love you guys! Thanks for reading!**

**~Kairi Fatewin**


	47. Spar, Spar, Spar!

_**~Chapter Forty-Six: Spar, Spar, Spar!~**_

Kairi's Point of View

"No!" Mizu said immediately. "I am not doing it."

"Nor am I," Skye said with acid in his words. Justuo raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms, unable to hide his humor.

"If you can't defeat your soul mate, then how can you defeat anyone?" Justuo asked. I thought back to when Skye, Mizu, Yomi, Kimi, and I were sitting at our usual lunch table today. Skye had been talking an awful lot about soul mates. I had suddenly understood why right before Mizu asked a simple question.

"Are you _my_ soul mate?" It was simple, almost very normal for a girlfriend to ask her boyfriend that. Of course, it was always rhetorical. Nope. Not in the Paranormal World.

Skye had looked right into her eyes, smiled, and said, "Finally, you realize how much you mean to me." I had smiled, unable to help the cute-hysteria building up in my chest. "But I don't want that fact to ever influence a decision to leave me if you're unhappy."

"I'm very happy!" she had said loudly. "I'm never going to leave you."

"But just in case, _Mea_." He had tapped her nose with his finger before continuing. "I didn't tell you because I didn't want you to base your life around the fact that we're soul mates."

"I _won't,_ Skylar," Mizu had said after rolling her eyes.

"Good, Mizuki." And it hadn't taken long for the whole castle to be abuzz with the news. I returned to the present where Mizu and Skye stared long and hard at each other.

"Fine," Mizu and Skye replied in unison. I hid a smile of satisfaction.

"Good," Justuo said with the same satisfaction I had hidden. Skye and Mizu, hand in hand, made their way to the spar field before letting go of their intertwined fingers. Mizu walked a good bit of distance away before turning to face my brother. Both were blank-faced. Skye made the first move. Fire whipped from thin air. Mizu flinched, and water from Wisteria Fountain moved to guard her, steaming as the fire clashed against it. When the steam faded, both were ready to defend – not attack. Mizu watched him carefully, unsure of what to do next.

"Come on, Mizu!" Fayt called to egg her on some. She pulled water from Wisteria Fountain before the pouch on her side released Kiroki, her Fish-Katana spirit weapon. She grew in size, and rode the wave that Mizu sent towards Skye. With a ball of fire that seemed to erupt from inside of him, Skye became enclosed and protected from the water. It burned hot enough to evaporate the water that crashed down from the wave.

Then fire whipped around him, breaking from his sheltering sphere and stretching towards Mizu. None of them ever touched her, but hell, Mizu was squealing and shouting as she jumped away from those flames. "No fair, Skylar!" she shouted.

I huge ball of water flew towards him, splashing at his feet. This was enough of a distraction for his fire whips to die down. Kiroki, who had landed on the cobblestone as a katana after riding Mizu's ineffective wave, appeared in her hands as she darted towards Skye. But there was hesitation, and I mean lots of it. Mizu practically froze when she was in front of Skye. He seemed to struggle with the next move as well. The onlookers watched intently as the soul mates stared at each other, unsure of whether they would hurt the other if they made the wrong move.

"I can't do this, Justuo!" Mizu finally said as Kiroki faded away. "I can't hurt my Skylar."

"Then you should work up to being able to fight him. What if he were to become possessed by the enemy? You'd have to be able to incapacitate him. He won't be holding back," Justuo replied. I glanced over and saw Yomi's pained expression as she snuggled closer to Negative whose arms were around her. Those memories of him probably haunted her. I pursed my lips, knowing all too well the feeling of fighting off a lover.

"Fuck the enemy," Mizu muttered as she walked into Skye's arms stubbornly.

"The same goes for you, Skylar," Justuo said, though his words weren't as warm as they had been with Mizu. I mentally shook my head at how ridiculous those two were.

Justuo's Point of View

"Hmm...I think Justuo and the Queen should spar next," Aki said while raising his eyebrows at me. I just shook my head, and looked at Kiyo. I noticed she and Ash were holding hands, and she was leaning against his arm. It stung, but I hid it behind a mask of cockiness.

"How about it?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Kiyo was about to respond when Ash spoke up from his place beside Kiyo.

"Absolutely not. You would end up hurting her, or worse losing control. And your loss of control could be the cause of her death."

"I would never hurt her or lose control with her!" I practically shouted it. I was outraged that he would assume I cared so little for her that I would lose control.

"Well, you've done it," Ash started, but Fear interrupted him.

"Give her majesty a chance, Ash. She can take care of herself better than you think. Besides, I would love to watch you kick his ass if he does hurt her," Fear said, smirking at the end. Kiyo beamed at Fear.

"Thank you, Fear. I can take care of myself, Ash. Don't worry about me," Kiyo said, as she kissed Ash's cheek. That stung even more.

"Fine," Ash sighed. What a bastard. She didn't need his permission.

"Will guys please fight now?" Prompto whined. Hana hit him. I chuckled and moved out into the field to face Kiyo. She smiled at me.

"Ready to lose, old man?" she joked.

"You'll be the one losing little girl," I said. I loved the look she made when I called her a child. She made the cutest pouty face. She stuck her tongue out at me.

I decided to make the first move because I had decided to make a game out of our fight; a game where I would be on defense the whole time, so that way I wouldn't hurt her. I ran straight up to her, but she didn't flinch.

I tugged on her hair and said, "You'll never catch me." I expected her annoyed look, and I quickly dodged the kick she aimed at my shin. I decided to show off some, and I flipped backwards away from her. Kiyo glared at me, and threw a burst of water from the pavement below (where Mizu and Skye had made such a mess) at me. I disintegrated it with a whip of fire.

"That's the best you got? What happened to my tough girl from the Human World?" I asked. I hadn't meant to call her mine. It was a force of habit. But the look on Ash's face made my embarrassment worth it. Kiyo, seeming to not be fazed by my words, quickly tossed a ball of a fire at me, which I blocked and countered. Kiyo made no move to defend herself from my attack, and I worried my attack would actually harm her.

Then, as if there was a wall around her, the ball of fire bounced right off her, hit the ground and died. Everyone stared at her. "What? No one said force fields weren't allowed." Kiyo shrugged with a small smile she was trying to hide on her face, almost mischievous.

There was a silent pause, and then Mizu shouted, "Holy shit, Kiyo! That was so effing cool!" Everyone else started cheering and talking about Kiyo's unknown power. Kiyo just laughed and looked back at me. I just shook my head and smiled. Damn, maybe I underestimated her too. Kiyo smiled at me really sweetly catching me off guard. Which distracted me from her water attack that hit me, soaking me and forcing me to take a step back.

Kairi laughed out loud at that, and shouted "Nice one, Kiyo!" So, that's how she wanted to play. Okay, two could play that game. I started running towards her full speed. Kiyo, looking quite shocked, had started to run backwards, but I was much faster. I caught her around the waist, and she struggled to get away.

"Smiling at me like that isn't fair, beautiful," I whispered so low only a Vampire or Feavii could hear as I gave her the most seductive look I could manage. She kept struggling, but her eyes widened and a rose colored blush spread across her cheeks. I wanted so badly to brush her cheek with my fingertips, but there was only so much I could do without crossing the very thin line that would lead to Ash ripping her away from me, and him killing me. Kiyo arms suddenly covered with fire. She was trying to get me to release her. "Resistant to fire. Remember darling?" I chuckled.

She looked annoyed and shocked. Annoyed because she was losing, and shocked I guessed because I had called her darling. Then, she smirked. I felt a trickling in my mind, and I soon realized Kiyo was in my head. I tried to force her out, but she was stronger than me mentally. She sent a burst of energy into my mind, causing me to drop her, but not enough to hurt me. She quickly ran out of my reach as I recovered from her attack.

"But you're not resistant to mental attacks," she winked. All of Mpopyya and Ash's inner circle were cheering for Kiyo.

_You just might lose this one, brother_, Aki thought to me.

Of _course he will, you boob! Kiyo is his only weakness! _ Seiren thought back.

"But you're not resistant to the Yamamotto charm," I called to Kiyo.

"Oh my god, he's ridiculous," I heard Hana mumble to Clover, who laughed. She has joined us after lunch. Kiyo rolled her eyes, and prepared herself for my next attack. I ran towards her full speed. She expected me to attack her from the waist up, so she wasn't prepared for my kick at her shins. I didn't mean to kick her as hard as I did. She fell backwards and landed hard on her back.

"Kiyo!" Ash and I shouted at the same time. I quickly went to her side. I could hear Ash growling, but I guess someone was holding him back.

"She's okay, I saw it," Negative said.

"She better be," Ash growled.

"Oh, don't worry. He wouldn't dare hurt her," Fear said, the threat evident in her voice. As I looked her over, Kiyo, I noticed, was smiling.

"Kiyo?" I questioned as I helped her up.

She started laughing. "I think it's safe to say Justuo won that," she giggled. I sighed in relief. She was okay.

"I'm so sorry, Kiyo," I said, as we started walking towards everyone else.

"Don't be sorry! I'm fine silly!" Kiyo said as she touched my arm. Then, she turned and ran to Ash to reassure him she was fine. I watched as he looked her over, and hugged her close to him. He kissed her forehead, satisfied that she was okay. Kairi and Yomi started to gush over how cute Ash and Kiyo were. I quickly turned my attention to Avi and Kimi. They all congratulated me on my win, and I just nodded.

"Why do you seem so upset, Justuo?" Kimi asked. "Nothing Kimi, it's something you wouldn't understand." She pursed her lips and nodded, but I could tell she was about to say something before the next names for the next spar were being called.

"Fayt and Rath haven't gone yet," Negative pointed out. He was looking at Rath when he said it. There was a hidden smile in his eyes that didn't show on his face. I guessed it had to have been something he had seen in a vision.

Kairi's Point of View

"Should we meet again in battle, friend?" Fayt asked Rath from his place near Serein and Avalanche. His tone had changed since he was trying to comfort me. It was light, happy, and even teasing. How could a Feavii cloak so much so easily? That's not how it worked with me, especially lately. Memories of my recent break downs played through my head. Lightning's touch had calmed me before. Fayt's cool-headed attitude had calmed me this time. I pursed my lips as Rath replied.

"I don't see why we shouldn't," Rath replied with a cunning smile. "But let's not only use magic this time."

"I thought as much, too," Fayt agreed. They made their way to the middle of the now soaked cobblestone sparring grounds. I watched Rath, whose sword was mounted on his side. Lethal Victory was its name I believe. Despite Rath's specialty being not only swords, but axes as well, I only saw a sword, sheathed and protected on his side.

Fayt noted this as well, and his hand moved to his hip where a bundle of leather lay wrapped tightly. Vampire and Feavii clashed again. Rath ran forward, testing his distance limitations. Fayt, with a fast motion that still didn't compare to Serein or some other members of Avi like Justuo, flashed his normal, leather whip forward. With a flip of his wrist and a loud _crack_, the whip snapped back before actually hitting Rath. Rath drew Lethal Victory before running forward.

With skilled precision, Fayt wrapped the whip around Lethal Victories hilt. With a sharp, strong tug, he yanked the blade from Rath's hand. But Rath acted like this hadn't happened, and continued his quick paced running. Water rose from Wisteria Fountain, conforming into a blob of water that was sword-shaped. It was in Rath's hand within seconds. Fayt, having already released Lethal Victory, coiled his whip around Rath's forearm and jerked it to the left.

This left Rath open, and also trapped. The water that had formed the sword swirled from his grip, and began to wash over Fayt's back. This made him shout in pain, and jerk away as if to get I noted the steam rising from his now wet shirt. Rath had heated the water up before sending it to Fayt's back.

In retaliation, Fayt sent a jet of water flying towards Rath. It must've been a strong jet considering it sent Rath flying backwards. He landed on the ground, hard. As he rolled backwards to land on his feet, Fayt charged forward, eyes flashing. His whip dragged behind him as he forged a watery pocket to draw from as he went.

Random slivers would slice towards Rath as he progressed towards him. Rath would counter these with as best as he could, using bursts from Wisteria Fountain. Inside my mind, I wondered how much water could possibly come out of the smallest fountain in the grounds.

The water in Fayt's small bubble that seemed to follow him had begun to dwindle as the attacks, counters, and blocks grew in number. Just as it was growing scarce, it began to steam and bubble. Pay back was evident. He tossed the ball of scalding water at Rath. With wise and quickened reaction, Rath turned Fayt's ball of fiery water into ice cold, slushy water. Granted it still had a big shock factor when it burst over him, soaking his training clothes.

Clover couldn't help but laugh when he gasped at the coldness. I smiled to myself at his playful smirk towards her.

Fayt took advantage of his distraction by weaving the whip around his ankle with a skilled flick of his arm and wrist. With a quick tug, Rath landed on the wet cobblestone. "Sneaky, my friend," Rath said.

"Nothing more is to be expected of a Feavii, dear friend," he said with a mischievous grin. A large pool-like orb of water then formed behind Fayt. From the pool of water, small droplets branched off, separating themselves from the larger source. Then, almost too quickly more my eyes to catch, they darted forward towards Rath like small bullets.

Almost as fast as the bullets flew, Rath drew water up from the ground beneath him. It created an orb-like shell around him as protection. As the bullets collided into the water shield, they were absorbed into the veil. Fayt, with more force than before, tossed the bullets harder, hoping to push all the way through. With a quick blast in all directions, the shield shattered into shard-like droplets of water.

Fayt summoned a tidal wave of water that washed down upon Rath and consumed the shards. Water rushed over my pink converse, pulling my attention to us on-lookers. Night Rider and another man with longer hair than Night Rider's stood near Fear and Ash. They spoke quietly as the spar progressed. The dark purple hair of the man near Night Rider caught in the sunlight, showing lighter patches of purple and even some red.

My eyes then trailed back to the fight where I found an immobilized Rath on the ground. Fayt had pulled out a chain-like whip with a big spike at the end while I wasn't looking. It had pinned Rath's loose shirt to the ground. Rath hands were bound by the leather whip. Around his mouth and nose was a bubble of water. This cut off his air supply. I jittered with my fingers in anticipation.

"My friend, I think I've won," Fayt said with a grin. Under the bubble of water, I saw Rath smile, and his eyes flashed red. Spouts of water, almost like tall towers or columns surrounded Fayt. This surprised him, but it was very subtle in his features. When the columns slammed into him, though, it was obvious that he wasn't expecting such a tactic.

It didn't take long for him to recover by sending the swarming water bubble away in all directions, but by the time he had, Rath was free of both whips, but shirtless now due to his torn shirt. _That_ was a sight.

_Eww, look at that,_ Kiyo teased mentally.

_Oh my gosh, Kiyo, really? Ash!_ Yomi squealed in her mind.

_Who would've thought sparring could get so beautiful,_ I replied in thought.

_Oh please, if you think that Rath had 'a nice body' then you should see me spar,_ Trace's thoughts were the next to ring in my head.

_Who invited you?_ Yomi snapped.

_Hey now, I'm trying to watch the spar!_ I interjected quickly before the conversation could rise to an argument.

"Not quite yet, Fayt," Rath replied. I noted his fangs were out as he tried to mollify his Vampiric nature. Fayt landed on his feet from the suspended bubble of water. "Maybe a draw, as usual."

"I think that's fair enough," Fayt agreed. "Mizu, Kiyo, would you mind helping to put all this water back into Wisteria Fountain?"

"Of course," Kiyo said with a smile.

"No problem," Mizu replied.

While they, along with Skye, moved to help Fayt and Rath, I turned my attention towards the new comer that had joined us in the middle of the spar. I was slightly surprised to find him watching me when I turned. He and Night Rider were actually walking towards me. Ash and Fear followed on their heels. Again, Kimi watched with those curious eyes. But she wasn't the only one this time. Yoru, as well as Yomi and Negative (who were hand in hand, might I add…), were watching as well.

Prompto, Yami, and Nightmare, though, seemed to not even notice. As for Clover, she was watching her still shirtless boyfriend fix Wisteria. Edge watched from father behind Yoru and Yomi. Does Avi even count? I think they were too busy chatting among themselves. That is, except for Justuo. He had been watching the purple and red haired man from the beginning.

"So this is the child?" the man asked.

"It is," Night Rider. "She's going to be Kiyo's Guardian."

"And that's her teacher?" the man asked, sounding very critical. He had pointed to Justuo in the process.

"Yes. Justuo, leader of rogue group, Avalanche," Ash confirmed.

"I'm Kairi Fatewin," I began, but he held a hand up before I could continue.

"I know who you are, child," he said, motioning me to be gone. "I know all too well. You think you're going to have what it takes to be the queen's Guardian, eh? You think you have what it takes, kid? With a teacher like that peasant over there, and a background of such low stature in the Paranormal World, you won't get very far."

My mouth literally fell open in surprise as his harsh, cocky words. The sad thing was that they didn't even sound very cocky. He just sounded like they were facts. My fragile state of well being that had been so easily shattered already earlier began to break. If not for the sudden strong hand on my shoulder, and Ash's quiet words of disapproval, "Raj, she's only sixteen," I would have begun crying.

"Is there a problem here, kohai?" Justuo asked from behind me. His hand gently squeezed my shoulder before it fell to his side. Strangely, I was reminded of the first day he had come to Franklin County, when he stood up for me against the snobby football player kid.

"Yea, this ass just told her she had no chance at being Kiyo's Guardian." I was surprised to hear Kimi speaking up for me. I turned to see her giving me a small smile before turning to glare at the man named Raj.

"And why doesn't she have a chance at being Kiyo's Guardian, may I ask?" Justuo said with a hint of a dangerous tone in his voice.

Raj smirked slightly to himself. I let some of the fierceness I felt bubbling around Justuo effect me. It was a strange thing, too, because I didn't even know I could do that. I stood a bit straighter. Instead of addressing Justuo, he turned to me.

"You want to be a real Guardian? You should drop this peasant and let me be your teacher, little Fatewin," Raj said. He had a sharp tongue, and I stood even straighter. Before Justuo (or anyone else for that matter) could say anything, I replied just as sharply.

"You can take your amazing skills and shove them up your perfectly trained ass," I said, stepping forward. It wasn't fierceness that I was feeding off of now. It was fury, hot and black. The fact that I was stepping forward, and drawing my fist back seemed to snap Justuo out of his slight surprise.

"Kairi, wait-!" he began. Nope. Way too late. My fist flew forward only to be caught by Raj's hand, twisted to the point of pain, and then thrown. His leg swept my feet out from under me before I could steady my stance. I landed on the ground, automatically tried to catch myself with the wrist he had just twisted, and ended up hurting it further.

"You have so very much to learn, little Fatewin," Raj mused.

"Look, ass hole," Justuo said, going towards the sharp mouthed jerk.

"Justuo?" Kiyo questioned from not too far. The surrounding area had gone quiet now that I was on my butt, and Justuo was confronting the little prick that had landed me there. I think that did it. He calmed and stepped only to step forward again with much more measured movements than before.

"Keep your hands off my student. And get a fucking life," he said right in front of his face. With that, he stepped back, grabbed my left arm, and pulled me to my feet.

"Feisty. Both of you. Like teacher, like student. I can also sense that you have the heart of a Guardian, as always. The Fates dealt you one hell of a hand this life. You should try to make the most of it by evening out the playing fields. But it's your life, kid," Raj said. "You'd do well to think on my offer."

I didn't say anything in response. I wasn't ever going to be under his teachings. Kiyo had made her way to our sides. Raj turned to make his leave. "Ash, you should get some spar time in, too. Even a king has to get his training, my lord," Raj added as he made his way to the castle doors. Night Rider watched as he left, and I felt a bond between them.

"That's Night Rider's teacher," Kiyo whispered under her breath to me. Not that it was a secret to anyone now. Enhanced hearing was a big part of our daily lives. And yet, she had whispered it to me.

"That guy was a jerk!" Yomi said after a few seconds.

"Yes, he has always had a sharp tongue," Ash said after a moment or so. I stared after him for several seconds before Kiyo took my wrist and healed it, sensing the small fragmented ache through our bond. Raj. Raj. Raj. _Raj._

I remembered the name, and stored it in my mind. I stored his image as well. For when I finished my Elite Guardian Training, he would be the first to know.

"Raj does have a point," Ash said calling my attention back to him. I blinked and glanced back at him. "A spar might prove to be useful."

"Who're you going to fight, my liege?" Clover asked, raising an eyebrow and nudging him with her elbow.

"All of Mpopyya and Avalanche," Ash declared with a grin. Our members glanced around, curious to how this would even work considering there were so many of us and so little of Ashu-Niisama.

"Death wish?" Justuo asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We'll see," Ash replied as we all made our way to the field for a final spar. We took stances, ready for this match to begin.

I decided my main priority in this spar was to protect Yami, Mizu, and Kiyo. I was sure Yoru and Yomi could handle take care of themselves. Ash was alone on his side of the sparring field. Even against these odds, Ash knew he'd win. I was pretty sure we all knew he would, too. And so it began.

Justuo went offensive. Aki and Akira followed. Water from Wisteria fountain sudden rained down from above, freezing cold and surprising. Avalanche barely seemed phased while shouts of irritation echoed from Mpopyya. Yoru seemed to be happy to have been cooled off from the scorching heat. I noted the water was too cold for a hot summer's day.

Justuo met Ash in combat, while Yomi summoned fire, Fayte pulled water up from the cobblestone ground, and Prompto began shooting. It was utter chaos! Hana was pulling out some kind of sword while Yoru was teaming up with Yomi, who as throwing fire at Ash. Mizu and Yami wer taking a magical offense; Yami had just learned that she could summon lightning without a storm-though she couldn't control when it happened. It also made her dizzy and drained after the fact. She and Mizu were trying to electrocute Ash with this method, but they were struggling. Serein's gusts of wind and Shuriken were a big art of the unrelenting chaos.

Kiyo was going in an elemental rampage. Water was bursting from Wisteria Fountain as fire sloppily flurried around Ash, who was easily dodging, blocking, and countering almost every fist, bullet, magic, and weapon we had thrown at him!

And in the middle of it all, I was watching. I scolded myself, and moved. I summoned fire brightly burning red with life, and I tossed an accumulative ball towards Ash.

Light green fire engulfed my red, normal fire. My eyes bugged out. Several of my fellow fighters (mostly Mpopyya members) were dazzled – in fact, Yomi, Yami, and Mizu didn't act when Ash's fire moved closer.

"Kairi!"Justuo shouted. "Fayt, Kiyo, Mizu! Help with water!"

"I can't use water!" I shouted back.

"Cover them!" he snapped. I went to Kiyo and Mizu first, who drew water from Wisteria.

"Yomi, help protect them!" I yelled. Mpopyya members and Avi members alike fell behind the water users. Yomi, Justuo, and I did our best with using our abilities with fire to block off excessive heat as the storm of light fire grew closer.

Water rose from the pavement, Wisteria, even thin air, and hurled towards the consuming flames. I squeezed my eyes in concentration. With as much magical potential I had, pulling power from the emotional distress around me, I kept the searing heat off.

And suddenly, as if all was well, the fire dissipated along with all the heat. Ash stood where he had before as if nothing had happened. Most members of both groups were exhilarated from the adrenaline. Ash was smiling, not even phased by any of it. At the time, the spar felt pretty real, but in retrospect, I don't think he was going to let his attacks hurt us. I mean, it was just a spar.

"You'll have to do better than that," Ash said simply. He was smiling a sincere smile, nothing cocky about it. Three Feavii darted forward; ice, fire, and water were pulled from the thin air. Gushes of wind blew quickly from behind our ranks. Serein's Shuriken flew forward. Bullets were fired. Katanas were drawn and scythes were summoned. Chaos enveloped the scene again.

Half-way through this crazed assault, Ash stopped and a force-field of what I guessed was great strength impeded our attacks at Ash. Several attempts to bust it down were made but none succeeded. After these several tries, a pattern became obvious. With my already weakened magical skills, I sent a fairly sized ball of fire at the shield. It passed the blue tinted field, causing a ripple. The ball of fire hit the ground after being brushed to the side by Ashu-Niisama.

"Magic," Serein said in understanding.

"Good catch, Guardian Kairi," Ash called. I beamed before a magical onslaught began. Fire, water, ice, wind, hell, even a streak of lightning from Yami was tossed through the physical shield.

But after taking a step forward, we were pushed back two. Figuratively. Another, lighter colored force-field appeared around Ash. Our magical attacks fizzled out.

"What the hell?" Justuo said, sounding irritated. "Stop hiding behind shields!" His voice was meant and taken in humor and jest. Mostly. Ash knew this as well as our little army of misfits. His reply was also in jest, but his words were true.

"If I fought fairly, it may not end well," he had said. My skin crawled at the power he possessed. He was just toying with us now to humor Raj and the rest of us. I had a feeling we were barely scratching the surface of Ash's true capabilities, physical, mental, and magical.

And Mpopyya was already weary. My legs trembled from the long day of sparring and training. My mind was tired. My body was drained. Mizu and Yami were even worse. Yami's bolt of lightning had weakened her well. Kiyo's body sagged in her posture. Avalanche was fine, though. They held strong while we were feeble.

"No force fields," Justuo pressed.

"And you're sure?" Ash asked as he raised an eyebrow.

"Yea!" Justuo replied.

"Very well then," Ash said with humor in his voice. The shields fell, and Justuo darted forward. Strangely, Avi held back. Mpopyya, at this point, was practically wiped out. Yoru and I were capable, and Yomi was still energized, but Kiyo, Mizu, and Yami were practically down.

"Cover the fallen," Yoru said. Yomi went to Yami, taking on a standard defensive stance while Yoru and I split to protect Mizu and Kiyo.

"Clover, protect them," Justuo said. I blinked in confusion. Clover? I glanced to the sidelines where Clover stood, eyes closed. My gaze turned back to Justuo. And I felt the Darkness pooling from him. But by the time I had felt it crawling towards us, Clover had veiled us in Light.

Justuo's face turned twisted. A smirk played on his lips. Aki and Fayt edged forward, unsure of what to do as he and Ash went at it. Ash made no attempt to attack. He only blocked all of Justuo's attempts.

But then, I felt my limbs go numb. My eyes widened, and I lost control of my body. By the looks of it, my fellow fighters including Justuo, Fayt, and Serein were under the same influence. I was forced to my knees, like an unbearable pressure was pushing down on my shoulders. It wasn't a bow by no means.

"I win," Ash said simply. I fell forward onto my stomach and landing on the steaming cobblestone where water was evaporating.

"You fight very noble, Lord Ash," Serein said with a nod. "It takes a strong mind and will to put an Elf on her knees without physical force."

"You cheated," Yami said with a mock pout.

"Call it what you want," Ash said with a shrug.

"Cheating," Justuo and several other members of Avi muttered. I was happy we had gotten to the point where we could joke like this without there being any tension in the air. Kiyo went to Ash's side, and he kissed her hair.

"I think it's been a long day," Ash said. "Let's get some dinner and showers before bed, eh love?"

Kiyo nodded tiredly. I felt her pain there. The watchers and fighters reunited. Dusk was only moments away. The air was cooling down.

"I'm so overwhelmed, Kairi," Kimi was saying as we trudged back inside. "Am I going home tonight? What am I supposed to do?"

Justuo had walked up beside us at that time, speaking before I could really think of an answer. "Of course you are going home," Justuo said. "The Human World doesn't need any more missing people – especially in Franklin County."

"I understand that," Kimi said after a long moment. I could only imagine what kind of precautions and stories had plagued Franklin County since Kiyo's disappearance. I remember how the news media was all over the case. But that couldn't have been anything compared to when the rest of us got up and left out of there.

"Kairi!" Kiyo called to me from ahead. I glanced ahead to see her with Ash. Nightmare, Yami, Mizu, Skye, Yomi, and Negative were with them, almost making a little crowd of cuteness. I smiled tenderly to myself. "You did well tonight!"

"Thanks, Kiyo," I said sincerely. She turned back to Ash. Prompto was edging his way towards Yami's side, too. He cut into her and Nightmare's conversation before long. But I was too far away to hear their words. Instead, Yoru and I engrossed ourselves into a long explanation of things about the other worlds to Kimi. Justuo would jump in every so often to add tips and bonus information.

As much as I tried, I couldn't shake the feeling of foreboding at the thought of Lightning – and trust me, he crossed my mind frequently. I needed to talk to Mizu and Yami. I also wanted to do some damage control with Lancer. I missed spending time with him. Trace had taken a lot of time in my life, and it left no room for him. It also kept me from Lightning…

Lightning…the last time I'd seen or heard from him was the day we both almost died. Only three days ago. It was hard to believe that it had been so short of a time. I was so worried about my Lightning.

But I couldn't confide this to anyone. Not yet. I had to take care of now. And Kimi was what was happening now.

Dinner went well. Avalanche left afterwards, taking Kimi with them. We said our goodbyes, as always. A slight longing to go to the Human World with them tinged me, but I brushed it away. Why dwell? It was pointless.

**It's now complete and ready to be read! Please enjoy the last adition and tell me what you guys think! Ideas are always welcome. Review if possible! 3**

**~Kairi Fatewin**

10


	48. Did You Say Lapis Lazuli?

_**~Chapter Forty-Seven: Did You Say Lapis Lazuli?~**_

Ash's Point of View

My eyes opened slowly as the bright morning light spilled in my room. I yawned and looked down at Kiyo who was still curled against my chest. I smiled to myself and rubbed her back gently. I didn't want to wake her by moving, but I needed to get dressed and talk to some people before breakfast.

I looked around the room while waiting for Kiyo to wake. Everything was just as it had been the night before. The book I had been reading was still sitting on my glass coffee table and my coat was hanging over the back of the black leather couch. All my closest and bathroom doors were still closed. Kiyo's shoes were still beside my bedroom door. The jeans and blouse she had been wearing the day before were still neatly folded in my recliner. Before I could continue my sweep of the room, Kiyo stirred.

"Mmm…what time is it?" she mumbled sleepily as she rolled over so her face was hidden in the pillow. Her hair was tousled and tangled. I smiled at how cute she was when she first woke up in the morning.

"It is almost eight-thirty," I answered her as I leaned over and kissed the back of her neck. I heard her sigh, and then she rolled back over to face me.

"It's too early to be alive," she complained. Kiyo was not a morning person to say the least. She had never been. I chuckled.

"I would love to agree with you, my dear, but I have things I need to get done before breakfast, which starts at nine-thirty," I reminded her gently. She made a face, but reluctantly sat up. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and yawned.

"I'm just glad breakfast isn't so formal," she said. Kiyo didn't hate the formal dinner, but sometimes I found her snuggled in her bed, eating pizza and fries, while watching television. I would join her, of course.

"Me too, love. I don't think I could even handle eating so formally in the morning," I said as I caressed her beautiful face. She smiled at me and kissed me gently on the lips.

"Good morning," she said while leaning against me. I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her head.

"Good morning to you as well," I said, and then I got out of the bed and stretched. Kiyo flopped back down in the bed before kicking her legs over the side, and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" she asked, while yawning again and stretching her arms over her head.

"Well, I need to speak with Edge before breakfast about some security things, and then we'll have breakfast. You can spend some time with your friends before they head off to training or whatever their plans are for the day. If I'm not mistaken, I think Yoru was meeting up with Tsu and Cheshire in the Sanctuary to find out some things and see how things are going for her friends and the people who don't support Elliot. You have some fittings today and a class with Yomi and Lady Fonda about what it really means to be a Queen's Right Hand." Kiyo rolled her eyes at that. "Then, I thought maybe you and I could have lunch in the gardens and spend some time together before we have to go to meetings with the inner circle, etcetera. After that, the day is yours," I said as I turned on the television to the news, just to see what the press was saying about the war and my kingdom.

"Sounds like it has the potential to be a good day except for the class with Lady Fonda," she said, as she came to sit by me on the couch.

"Indeed. I was thinking about tacos for lunch. Sound good to you?" I asked her. She beamed at me.

"You just read my mind," she said as she kissed my cheek again. Kiyo loved her Mexican food. I laughed again.

"Good. I'll tell the cooks. I'm going to get in the shower and then head on out, okay? You take your time though," I said as I rose from the couch and started for the bathroom.

"I want to finish watching this, and then I'm going to head back to my room to change and shower," she said, turning around to face me, smiling. God, her smile could make a blind man see the sun.

"Or you could always shower with me," I countered, smiling playfully at her. She blushed, but returned the smile.

"Nice try, hot shot. But not today," she said, while turning back to the news. I laughed and went to take my shower.

Once, I had finished drying off, I entered my closet from a door in my bathroom. I chose a pair of dark slacks to wear with a navy blue polo top. I would change when it came time for the meeting.

I left my closet and entered the main part of my bedroom. Kiyo was gone, but Tornado was resting on my made bed, which meant she would be coming back tonight. I smiled to myself and touched the silver chain I never took off. It had been a gift from Kiyo in the first life we ever met. It meant almost more to me than she herself did. Almost. Engraved on one of the links was a little heart. I remembered when she gave it to me like it was yesterday.

I quickly shook off the oncoming memory. I grabbed my watch and cell phone off my nightstand before I left the room.

The castle was already buzzing. Maids and butlers were on the move and many of the castle's residents were up and moving as well. Fear passed me in the hallway. "It's going to be a _long_ day. There was already an attack on the small village of Redina. I sent a small band of soldiers and General Bak to check it out," she said as she passed me. I nodded, choosing not to comment with so many people around.

The attacks were coming more frequently and closer to the castle. Redina was only about one hundred fifty miles north of Zephyr. I shook my head to some servants who bowed when I came by and asked if I needed anything. I dismissed them with a polite smile and the shake of my head.

I passed the dining the hall and took a left turn. I then found myself standing in front of the first door on the right of the hallway. The door was locked by a code and a swab for DNA. I entered the pass code and a swab appeared in a hole in the wall next to the door. I stuck the swab in my mouth and then put it back in the hole. It was sucked up, and a minute later, the door opened. I stepped inside and the shut the door behind me.

Edge was already waiting for me at the long table at one end of the room. Almost the whole rest of the room was covered with large televisions and computers. This was the strategy and security room. Three of the televisions were turned on the news. The others all had surveillance cameras on them. There was surveillance of the castle, Zephyr, some parts of the Sanctuary, and the list went on.

"Ash," Edge said, bowing slightly. "I have some bad news," he continued, as he sat back in his chair. I took a seat at the table as well.

"What is it?" I asked, trying to remain cool and collected. Even though, Edge was one of my closest friends, I still needed to keep my emotions in check as best I could. I needed to set an example.

"The attacks are becoming more frequent and closer. The latest one happened early this morning in Redina," he said, while turning to one of the computers.

"I know. Fear told me on my way here," I said, nodding. Edge had pulled up a digital map of the Paranormal World. It was updated every five minutes, so all the information was accurate. It was sort of like a better, more advanced version of Google Maps as Kiyo once compared it to. "Elliot wants the war to become more physical and bring it closer to my kingdom, rather than his. He wants to put me at a disadvantage, so he has a better chance to attack me one and one," I said, becoming more nervous about what Edge was about to tell me. He nodded.

"Yes, but I don't think that's what the meaning behind these attacks are. I looked back over all the recent attacks and the reports from news media and other eyewitnesses. Their attacking smaller towns and cities instead of major ones, and the way the sites are burned and ravaged show that the soldiers are looking for something," he said, turning to look me in the eye. I felt my fangs protrude slightly and I'm sure my face revealed my anger and worry. They were looking for Kiyo and her friends.

"That's not all, Ash. At some of these attacks, residue of Darkness was found. It was like they were using Darkness as a fire. It was like they were trying to smoke someone out. Something that has also occurred at all these recent attacks, all the young girls with dark hair were tied up in a line. Anyone who tried to help them was killed instantly. All the girls were killed." He stopped and asked if he should continue. A nod was all I could manage. "The last thing that I found was that Elliot himself was present at all of these attacks," he finished gravely.

"He's looking for her. He thinks I'm hiding her somewhere," I said, emotionless. Edge nodded.

"The next place he'll look is Zephyr," I whispered.

"Yes sir," Edge said, placing a hand on my shoulder.

"When have you predicted he'll attack?" I asked, while I closed my eyes and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"Next weekend, sometime in the night," he said. I rose and walked towards the door.

"We need to send them somewhere before that. Somewhere Elliot wouldn't expect. But none of us could go. That would be too suspicious," I said, pacing in front of the door.

"I agree, but who do you trust enough to send them with?" Edge asked, focusing on the computer screen again. The only people, who I could send them with who would keep them safe, would be Avalanche. I gritted my teeth at the thought, but it was the only way. Elliot doesn't know that we've reconnected with Justuo yet, so he wouldn't be looking for him. He could take Mpopyya to the Feywood."

"Avalanche will take them to the Feywood," I said. Edge nodded.

"It's the only way, my brother," he said.

"We must not tell them why they are going. I'll tell them they are getting their rooms re-decorated or something," I said, opening the door. "Have the rest of the Inner Circle meet after breakfast," I said, while opening the door and composing my face.

"Of course, my king," Edge said. Then I closed the door.

Kairi's Point of View

"Yoru, we really need to train some more. Avi kicked our asses," I whined as we walked down the paved walkway of East Zephyr. It was more like cobblestone due to the middle aged theme. The sun overhead was hot and sweltering despite it only being spring. My hair was tied back, and my forehead was slightly moist from perspiration.

"I think we did pretty well despite the little surprise – _surprises_, really – Kimiko and Akira," she said nonchalantly. I nodded, remembering the spar between Akira and Edge. Yoru had told me later that he was a Werewolf. I had remembered Kimi not enjoying being close to him, even if it was subconscious.

Suddenly, a drunken man about six feet tall, stumbled out of The Tavern, knocking into me, which threw me into Yoru. She growled in an automatic response before helping me balance. The man, bearded and burley with thick arms of muscle, turned his beady eyes to us. "Watch it, miss. A little lady like yourself shouldn't be near The Tavern at this time, especially by yourself." His voice was slurred with alcohol, and he seemed to grunt instead of speak. He reeked of the intoxication.

"Actually, she wasn't alone, _sir_, we are together," Yoru said, anger and disgust clearly on her face.

"I don't like your spunk, girl," the man snapped. His breath was hot and nasty when it hit my face,

"Use a mint," I added. "Your breath is horrid."

"Some cologne wouldn't hurt much, either," Yoru said.

Several onlookers had gathered during our arguing. The man glared at us before speaking. "You're just a couple of smart asses, aren't you? You're coming with me, girlies."

"Bull shit!" I said, stepping back and keeping Yoru behind me. The man grabbed me by the front of my shirt. Yoru was about to dart into action when the man tossed me back onto her! We tumbled to the cobblestone ground with a painful thump. Disoriented, I twisted and turned to get off of Yoru

"Kairi, get up!" she said, offering a hand once she was upright. Pulling me to my feet, she faced the large man. We took up defensive stances as he stumbled forward. We had quite a few viewers now, even some that were poking their heads out of winders and doors, I noted.

With a quick nod, we split ways. Yoru went left, and I dodged right. He stumbled in confusion before turning towards me. I felt trapped due to the lack of space; The Tavern was to my right. He came after me, and my only chance was to roll to my left. When I landed, I turned just in time to see the burly man stumbling to the right too much and knocking a bottle of rum from a girl's hand who had been watching the brawl. He straightened and looked at her.

"Watch where you're going, miss," he said as he swayed on his feet. He glanced at the ground where the broken bottle of rum lay, spilling and seeping into the cobblestone. Yoru and I exchanged glances before looking back to the girl. "It's a shame you wasted such a costly bottle of rum!" he grunted. The girl, who could be no more than twenty years old, if that, glared with such icy malice that I'm surprised the drunken man didn't drop dead. I felt her emotions swirling, swelling around me. With as much emotional control I could muster, I fended off her onslaught of emotions.

And then the temperature began to drop. Drastically. I shivered, only seconds ago being hot and sweaty. I glanced to Yoru, making sure I wasn't the only one feeling this effect. Maybe it was a part of the whole emotional thing that I had been experiencing lately. But glancing around, I saw that the watching crowd, which had grown, and Yoru, both, were visibly shaken by the change.

My eyes darted back to the clearly Elven girl. She had the pointed ears that most of them had, and her hair was choppy and black, only reaching just below her ears. Her arms were faintly tattooed in a swirling pattern that stretched to her hands. She wore a simple cloak that brushed her knees. The hood was down, and the cloak was open, revealing a dark top with no sleeves. Her pants were the same color, and were simple, leading down to her darkly colored boots.

And before my eyes, ice began to spread across the cobblestone from under those boots. My mouth dropped in surprise. Her cold glare burned like the now frigid air on my bare skin. "You messed with the wrong Elf," she snarled.

"Look, lady," but the man was cut off. The Elf girl punched him hard, so hard that the man fell onto his back, completely disoriented. Cheers erupted from the crowd and the girl seemed annoyed by this. Her gray eyes fell on Yoru and me before she closed the distance between us. Yoru joined me by my side as the mystery girl and cold weather chill approached us.

"You both okay?" she asked. Her tone was cool, bur far from pissed. The air was warming up again, too. As that cool chill receded, I noticed her anger that surrounded her faded back towards her. It was almost a visible entity.

"Yea," Yoru replied for us. I couldn't hold the question in that was bubbling to my lips.

"Do you control ice?" I asked before I could stop myself. This acquired a small, humorless smile and a grim reply.

"Nope. Affinity for winter weather," she said wryly. She stopped, seeming to have surprised herself by answering. I pursed my lips. She didn't seem very open. I would let Yoru do the rest of the talking. She was always smarter than me with words anyway.

"Thanks for the help…uh..?" Yoru paused, without a name to add to the Elf girl.

"Lapazuli. And sure." Her words were prompt. Then, like that, she began to retreat back to The Tavern. Lapazuli…? Like Lapis Lazuli, the stone? Yoru and I exchanged glanced for a long while before silently agreeing to help Lapazuli out, as payment for her lost bottle of rum.

We entered The Tavern, and found it dimly lit. The small of alcohol and grunge was heavy in my nostrils. A bar sat near the front of the place, wrapping halfway around the connected wall to the left. Men and women alike were scattered throughout the room, chatting loudly or complaining about their days. I saw Lapazuli making her way to a dark corner of the bar.

"You sure this is a good idea?" I asked as I watched a large, gruff guy walk by us. "These people could kill us."

"It isn't anything we haven't been through before," Yoru said, shrugging.

"Good point," I said. We walked through the dark place, making our way to Lapazuli, weaving through tables and people alike. When we got closer to Lapazuli, I noticed a slight movement around her neck. Only until we were right beside her, did I notice it was a snake wrapped around her neck.

My eyes bugged out, and I knew Yoru was a bit timid due to this fact as well. And if Yoru was timid, then the snake _must_ have been poisonous. Yoru cleared her throat and spoke. "Hello again," she said, sounding polite. She was using the voice she used to use when she would call the house phone of a friend and their parent would pick up.

"You followed me," Lapazuli stated. It wasn't phrased as a question, but I answered it anyway.

"Yea, we wanted to pay for a new bottle of Rum since you helped us," I said offering a smile. I wasn't sure if she was annoyed or not, but her words were clear.

"I don't need your money." It was simple, distant, but not cold and sharp as when she was talking to drunken man.

"We insist, Lapazuli," Yoru said, but she cut off immediately.

"Don't use my full name," Lapazuli said, sounding annoyed now. "Azi. If you're going to call me anything."

"Azi," Yoru corrected herself. "We would have been in big trouble if you hadn't came in and saved…" I cut her off this time. She was putting us down!

"Hey, we aren't completely…" Yoru's elbow jutted into my elbow backwards into my stomach with a sharp pain. "Ow!"

"Kairi, shut up. We would've been doomed if you hadn't shown up. So please allow us to buy you some more rum." I held my tongue, despite my urge to say we weren't weak. "Kairi, go buy the most expensive bottle," Yoru said, handing me a handful of golden coins.

"Gotcha," I said turning away. I walked towards the bartender, slightly worried he'd ask my age. Once there, I asked for the finest of their rum and gave him the coins, telling him he could keep an extra tip. I'd give the rest to Azi; Ash had plenty to spare.

I returned to find Yoru and Azi talking about the snake coiled around her neck. "His name Azorroth," she was saying. "He talks, right, Azorroth?"

"Of course," the thing hissed. I shuddered, not in fear, but at the strangeness of the other worlds. It's sad that I'd been living here for so long, and I didn't even know all of the possibilities.

"Well, it wouldn't be the first time we've seen talking animals," Yoru said. I handed her the rum as Azi raised an eyebrow but didn't ask. "Here, I hope it makes up for your lost bottle." Yoru offered the bottle to her, and she hesitantly took it.

"Take this, too," I said, offering the five golden coins. Her eyes widened for only a split second; it's probably because gold pieces are hard to come by.

"I'm _not_ taking your money," Azi said immediately. All of the little bit of social opening she had shown was gone now. "The both of you are tougher than you say. You could have easily taken that man down. I'm _not_ taking it."

"Please do," Yoru said.

"No. I'll be in dept and all that lovely shit. _No._ You're lucky I'm taking the rum. We're even now," Azi said. With a quick flick of my wrist, I tossed the gold pieces into a pocket in her bags sitting near her. She glanced down in surprise before looking up in accusation. "Hey!"

I grabbed Yoru's arm and pulled her back towards the exit at a fast sprint. "It was nice meeting you, Azi!"

"Damn it, you! Wait!" I heard her call before we stumbled out of the tavern. Yoru and I laughed as we sprinted in the darkening dusk of evening, back towards the castle.

Azi's Point of View

I watched them go, a frown on my face, my fists clenched in anger. _Damn them, now I'm in dept!_ I thought to myself, furious. I took the coins from the pocket they'd landed in. They shined in the dim lighting.

"No need to cry over spilt milk," Azorroth hissed. "If they insist on giving you money, take it."

"I don't take hand outs," I muttered before grabbing my bags to head for my room in the back of the tavern. The bar keeper nodded as I did. Once in my room, I locked the door behind me. Azorroth slithered off of my shoulders and onto the bed where I tossed my bags. Night was claiming the world outside. I lit a lantern to keep the room illuminated. I then sat on the bed with the bed with the new bottle of run in hand. I put my bags on the ground beside the bed. Then, I thought back to the two girls from today.

Two girls, younger than me, that were obviously rich, came by. Got into a fist fight with a drunken man. He spilled my rum, so I fought back. No damage down right? But those damn girls, so insistent. And the one, Kairi, had pink hair! Was that even natural?! Why had they slipped me that money? I suppressed a groan.

Tomorrow, I'd go on the hunt for some more money. I wanted a good horse anyway. Maybe I'd run into those girls. If I did, I was going to shove their gold back into their pockets and hope to not see the pair again. With this comforting thought, I was consumed by deep sleep.

_ Running. I am running. As fast as I can, I try to get to his side. Fire is engulfing the forest. Mother and Father are already dead. But he isn't. Not yet. A tree falls in my path, embers, flames, and charred wood raining down on me._

_ I gasp in surprise, falling backwards to get out of harm's way. I quickly right myself and peer over the flaming tree. He's right near several of the Vampires that are raiding our clan. I run forward, leaping over the tree and just barely landing. I stumbled, mid-stride, and lost my footing._

_ I hit the ground. I urge myself to stand again, and only adrenaline allows me to. When I'm on my feet, I take off running again. The Vampires hear me coming, but don't pay me much mind. I pull out my bow, notch an arrow, and let it fly. It rips into one of the male's flesh. They turn their attention away from my struggling brother. He catches sight of me and begins to struggle more._

_ "Azi, no!" he sputters. One of the Vampire Blood Whores slaps him and tells him to shut up. This fuels my anger. The other Vampires have begun to move towards me. I show no fear despite my young age. I allow another arrow to slice the air and gorge into another of the Vampires. He falls, dead. "Azi, please run!" my brother manages, but that dumb parasite grabs his throat, squeezing with what I guess is unbearable force._

_ "Stop!" I scream, sending an arrow towards her. It slams into her shoulder, and she hisses in anger. With her nails, she drags long cuts across his face and bare chest._

_ "Azi!" he yells in agony. "Run!"_

_ "Fenris!" My screams are loud, so loud they hurt my eardrums._

I woke to my own screams, sweat soaking me, lungs empty and aching, breath raspy and fast like my racing heart. "Damn it," I whispered. Azorroth raised his head, not surprised by my outburst.

"Dreams aren't reality," he said.

"Speak for yourself," I muttered. I didn't bother trying to sleep again. Instead, I left the tavern in the early morning dew. Cool air soothed my fevered skin and helped chase away the nightmare. The humid, chilly air, which was cooler than yesterday's heat wave, brought calming breath to my raw lungs.

The sun was still sleeping. In a few minutes, it would begin to peek over the horizon and warm the town of Zephyr and its cobblestone streets. The people would be irritable and feverish today due to the warmer weather that was beginning to thrive; the perfect conditions for pick-pocketing.

I went to an alley, slid into the shadows, and crouched into a comfortable position. I refused to doze off. I watched as people began to fill the streets; it was a Sunday so there'd be plenty of costumers for merchants and venders to set up and sell to. The sun began to scorch the stony streets of Zephyr. Soon, the streets were filled and flowing with crowds.

I stepped into the river of people, some being travelers from distant places. Species with cat ears and tails with Sanctian faces passed me, and I couldn't help thinking how strange they looked. I started my pick-pocketing. Most didn't notice. I usually went for Sanctians due to their oblivious nature. Never did I look for a Vampire's pocket to swipe. So when I found myself swiping a good twelve gold pieces from a Vampire with red and black hair, I was almost ashamed of myself. Vampires and Vampyres (which honestly were no different in my eyes except for the whole daylight thing) were not an ally of mine. The worst part of this unnatural encounter was that he was standing in broad daylight, not even flinching. I shivered, remembering only one other that I knew who could do that.

His name had been Trace. Trace Saviore. He was the leader that invaded mu village. I hated him with a passion, and I didn't even know him.

When I rounded the corner, I gasped when I ran right into somebody. I stepped back and muttered, "Sorry," before my eyes fell on the face of the man I'd run into. The Vampire I had just pick-pocketed was standing right there. My eyes widened as he spoke.

"You don't happen to be the Elf that just took my money, are you?" His eyes had faded to a bloody red.

"Oh shit," I breathed.

"Oh shit is right." He spoke with his lips revealing his fangs, as if it were an intimidating factor. Quite honestly, Vampires didn't scare me. They unsettle me and brought repressed memories to the surface of my mind. He grabbed the collar of my shirt and jerked me forward. The temperature around me sank immediately. He threw fire into the air around us as a reaction. Several on-lookers stared in amazement as he continued to pull me.

"Ice tricks don't work on me." He dragged me forward, and I found it impossible to break from his grasp.

"Where are you taking me?" I spat.

"The castle," he said simply.

"Why?" I asked critically.

"I'm in the king's inner circle. So you've stolen from a royal," he replied with a smirk in his voice. "And that punishable by law." I ground my teeth to keep from yelling at him. He pulled me swiftly towards the huge, towering walls that surrounded the even large castle. Once in those walls, who knew if I'd come out. That's why dread consumed me when I was dragged into the castle itself and the doors shut behind me. I didn't let it show. He pulled me through the halls of grand furnishing and décor.

The next thing I knew, I was being led into the throne room. But I became confused when I saw who was waiting there. The girls from yesterday – Kairi and Yoru – both stood there before a young girl with dark blue hair. Kairi looked up and smiled at the sight of us – or maybe at the sight of the guy dragging me.

"Skye!" she said with a smile. Her eyes flickered to me, then, and that smile faltered. "Azi?" she asked.

"Yea. Hi," I said bitterly.

"Skye, what did you do?" Kairi said with accusation in her voice.

Kairi's Point of View

"She stole from me," Skye said, looking a little taken aback that I knew Azi.

"She's my from," I said simply. I saw her scoff at that, but said nothing.

"Kairi, please don't be difficult," Skye complained. I raised an eyebrow, and was about to reply.

"Ash isn't here right now," Kiyo chimed in, loving to oppose Skye in any way.

"Then she can stay in the dungeon for now," Skye said bitterly. He turned away with Azi close behind him. I exchanged glances with Yoru before taking off after him.

"Skylar!" I shouted after him. "Skylar Eden Fateless!" He didn't stop for anything.

"Did I hear Skye's name?!" Mizu called from a hallway near us. I ignored her, and continued to follow Skye towards the dungeon. I began to run to keep up with him.

"Sorry, Kairi," he muttered before going into the heavily guarded dungeon. The door closed behind him before I could slip in. And guess who happened to be guarding at this particular time? Raj. _Raj!_

I gave him a sickly sweet smile while my eyes glared at him. Night Rider was with him. What were they these days? The Double Duo? "Let me down there, please," I asked with a forced kind-voice.

"No can do, little Fatewin," Raj said with a triumphant smile. "How're your sore muscles?"

"Ah, I see," I said with no reply to question. I let the fake smile fade from my mouth. A hand on my shoulder kept me from punching him in the jaw; which from the way he handled that so well two days before, you would have thought I would have known better.

"That's okay. We'll speak with Ash." Yoru's voice came from behind me. She pulled me back towards the throne room. Mizu came scrambling down the hall.

"Where's Skye? I heard you yelling at him," she said, keeping up with Yoru's brisk pace that was pulling me along with it.

"Skye put out from in the dungeon for 'stealing from him'," Yoru sighed. "Truthfully, she needs the money more than us."

"Honestly," I muttered.

"I can talk to him!" Mizu declared. "I can get _anything_ I want out of him." Her devious smile had my mind instantly in the gutter. The thought of Mizu and my brother doing intimate things made me shudder.

"Don't say it like that, Mizu," I said pinching the bridge of my nose. I could feel the atmosphere getting a little lighter, though.

"I'm sure that you and Li-," Mizu began, but I quickly cut her off.

"_Lancer_ and I haven't thought of anything of the sorts!" My death glare reminded her that she needed to be very careful of what she said about my "relationship" and, that she needed to think before she spoke.

"Right," Mizu replied, playing along. "I'm sure you and _Lancer_ haven't thought of dirty things."

"How did we get on this topic?" Yoru asked abruptly. I half expected her to twitch like an anime girl caught in a perverted conversation.

"Good question," I added, feeling the same way.

"I'll find Skye, kay?" Mizu said, bubbly and normal again instead of Hentai and flirty.

"Gotcha. We'll find Ash," I said. She practically ran down the hall in the direction we had come.

"Mizu will be Mizu," Yoru said. We'd come to a stop.

"Got that right," I agreed. "Let's go. Azi's probably freaking out."

Azi's Point of View

I counted the seconds until another minute. When sixty seconds came, I scratched a tally mark into the stone wall of the cell. It had been two hours. I was beginning to panic in this tiny cell. In my head, I mentally slapped myself for the small piece of me that had believed the two girls would come and rescue me from the stony hell.

I focused on the time, and tried to concentrate on breathing deeply. The one-hundred and twenty-five tallies grew by one more. Then, I heard the sound of salvation. The creak of the heavy, iron door that closed me off from the outside world caught my attention. Light poured into the grey-stone dungeon like magic.

I hoped it was Kairi so I could grab her by that pink hair of her's and shake her really hard. It was her stupid Vampire brother that did this anyway!

"It seems the king has found it plausible to pardon you." It was that strange man with red and purple hair. He was one of the guards in front of the iron door. I didn't say anything. He unlocked the barred door, releasing some of the claustrophobia that I had been feeling. He escorted me out into the brightly lit hallway.

These lights were also like magic. There was no flame, but an orb of light instead. The halls looked nothing like the dank dungeon below, but were instead carpeted and strangely warm. It had a homely feeling. The walls were also strangely bland and comforting. I was escorted back towards the throne room, but I wasn't forced this time. I also took in all the portraits and paintings, lights and doors.

Some doors had little labels, almost like name tags. I didn't have enough time to read them. I was ushered into the throne room where an impatient Kairi and Yoru waited. A dark haired man sat next to the petite girl with dark blue hair. Skylar stood in the back ground of this scene. Three other girls were there, too.

A girl with long golden hair fidgeted as if she were full of energy. The other two, who were talking quietly among themselves, grew quiet as I entered. One had an aqua color to their hair. The other could've passed for Skylar's sister due to her dark black and crimson red tips.

"My Lord, this is the Elven girl," the man with weird hair knelt down. I watched him with a precarious eye before glancing up to see Kairi looking a bit bewildered. She kept pointing down. Yoru had glanced down.

_Bow!_ Kairi mouthed. _That's the king._ She pointed towards the man in the throne as subtly as she could without seeming too obvious. My eyes widened before I knelt on one knee.

"I'm sorry, your grace," I said quickly. I didn't want to die. I wanted to keep my head so I could enjoy another bottle of rich rum before my life came to an end.

"That's quite alright. Please, stand. You as well, Raj," the king with dark hair said. Kairi made a face when Raj's name was mentioned. "Skye tells me you stole from him, but with how he acted it would seem you had stolen his life." He paused to chuckle. "Twelve gold pieces is all? Please, dear," he paused again. "Well, I don't know your name."

"Uh…just call me Azi," I said quickly.

"Her is Lapazuli," Kairi added hastily. I tossed a cold glare at her.

"Yes, Lapazuli Nightlock," I said tightly.

"Azi, you said you prefer?" I nodded. "Well, from what Kairi and Yoru tell me, you could use a few spar gold pieces. What kind of king would let his people go without?" I wasn't sure what to say in response to his kindness. So instead, I let him continue. "Feel free to leave and go as you please. There's no need to be bashful."

"Um, thanks," I said lamely. I wasn't sure what else to say. I'd heard of the king's kindness, but never experienced it firsthand. I watched Kairi and Yoru slap each other's hands before approaching me. I wasn't sure what to say.

"Come and meet the rest of Mpopyya!" Kairi said, grabbing my arm. I was rather reluctant to do this, but in the presence of the king, I was rather reluctant to disobey her.

"Muh Pop Yuh?" I asked.

"Yea, like Mpopyya upside the head!" the girl with long brown hair said, meeting Kairi halfway. "My name's Kiyomi. Or Yomi for short."

"I'm Mizuki! But please call me Mizu," the girl with bright blue hair said as she and the Skye-Twin girl followed in Yomi's wake.

"And I'm Yami," the girl with black and red hair said.

"And that's Kiyo," Kairi commented as she pointed at the girl on the throne who was standing to take her place among the other girls.

"She's the queen," Mizu said matter-of-factly.

"Stop that," Kiyo said, seeming to be embarrassed at Mizu's praise.

"Don't be modest, Kiyo," the king said with a warm smile in her direction.

I wanted out of there. There were too many people, and I didn't like the claustrophobic feeling the castle and its walls gave me. "Maybe you could come back for dinner or something," Yoru was saying.

"Maybe," I said after a long pause. "But I have to go now."

"Aw, so soon?" Kairi asked. I didn't even know her, and she wanted me to stay? Was this child a joke? I didn't speak my thoughts.

"Yes," I replied simply. I turned to leave.

"Bye, it was nice meeting you!" Yomi called as I walked away. I stopped, unsure of what to say to these positive girls and their king.

"Yea, maybe I guess so," I said after awhile.

Kairi's Point of View

"I don't think your new friend liked us," Kiyo was saying on the way to dinner that evening.

"She doesn't like people in general…," Yoru said.

"I wonder why…," I wondered aloud. Hmm, Lapazuli Nightlock seemed to have more to her than what was on the outside. Of course, everyone was like that.

Later that evening, Kiyo came to my room. It was rather late, and I had expected her to have gone to bed way earlier. It wasn't like her to stay up late, especially lately. She had been going through a lot of queenly things like listening to people from her kingdom and helping with political issues. Ash was teaching her the ropes of learning to rule a kingdom.

Kiyo's hair was messy with restlessness. I sensed weariness flowing from her in the air; in her presence was distinct uneasiness. She closed my door and crossed the room before sitting down on the end of my bed, keeping her mouth closed and eyes droopy. Her silence was thoughtful before I broke it.

"Couldn't sleep?" I asked lightly.

"I have good reason," she said a few moments later. I raised a curious eyebrow but whispers filled my mind.

_Past lives haunt you even in your present life, Kairi,_ Trace said before Kiyo even took a breath to explain what was wrong.

"I've been thinking a lot lately, Kairi," she said. Her loose pajama pants were an indicator that she hadn't been sleeping with Ash tonight. I felt a glum feeling at this. Was she thinking about her and Justuo's past? I pursed my lips to keep from asking the questions that bubbled in my mind. "What are past lives? Do they define who we are? Or what we're to become?"

I thought about that for a second. "Past lives…Well it seems to me that our present life is always in the shadow of our past lives," I replied slowly.

"But shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't our present life be a light to shine the shadows of mystery from our past? We should learn from the past," Kiyo pointed out.

I nodded slowly. A tingly sensation filled my mind and spread down my neck and spine. I gasped aloud before I felt his control over me. When I spoke, it was not my own will or words.

"But how can you learn from something you have no clue about, dear?" Trace asked through my mouth. Kiyo sensed a change about me, then. She pursed her lips like I had done before she swallowed.

"Hello, Trace," she said after a moment.

"Ah, _boku no Kiyo._" I wasn't in control now. My limbs were held in place with his will. It was like I was in a dark room. There were two views at which I could see; one I could tell was through my own eyes. The other one, which seemed farther away, wasn't my room or even a place that I knew. But _he_ knew where this place was. And with his knowledge, I stepped (not quite literally stepped) towards the picture that was farther away.

I found myself smiling, and I found myself tingling. I looked down, and it was like I had fallen into someone else's body. My hands were rough and callused. My hair was short, so very short that it just tickled the back of my neck. My body was tight with muscle, and the best part about it all was that it only took me a split second to realize all of this.

My vision was sharp and acute. My sense of smell caught every molecule that was breathed into my lungs. My hearing caught the smallest of noises, even something as soft as dust flecks landing on a shelf nearby. I blinked, and moved, much too fast and with much too much force behind my movement.

I glanced around the room, and saw the reflection of "me" inside. My mouth dropped open. Trace was staring back at me.

Or rather, Trace's _body_ was staring back at me. I was myself. I lifted my arm sloppily, moved my fingers, and twitched my bare foot. I was in control of him!

"Trace?" a voice that was unmistakable spoke. I slowly turned my head back to the door. Lightning stood in the doorway. I stood quickly, stumbling as I did, and crossed the room faster than what I thought was possible. It was strange to be so tall. Lightning stepped back, eyes reddening. I wrapped my arms around his waist, forgetting about Trace's body.

"Lightning…," I whispered.

"Get the fuck off me," he whispered fiercely.

"Wait, what?" I breathed, letting go of him. He pushed me back.

"Stop. What the hell are you doing?" he asked.

"Lightning, it's me," I said slowly. "Kairi?" I hadn't seen him since we were both practically dead! Surprisingly…that had only been five days ago…

His face went blank, almost forced. "What kind of game are you playing, Sensei?"

"Oh!" I was in Trace's body. I couldn't help but smile, and quickly shake my head. "No, no, I really am Kairi. You see, I share this mind connection with Trace, and he possessed me while I was with Kiyo. I think, I accidently swapped bodies with him or something." I paused for a moment of thought. "I'm not sure how it works, honestly."

"Kairi, is that really you?" His eyes lightened, fading back to blue slowly. His voice was unsure. "You can't possibly be here."

"But I am!" I said, hugging him. He flinched when I hugged him. It was strange. We were the same height. I couldn't tuck my head under his chin.

"Love, this is really awkward," he said after a moment.

"I'm sorry, Lightning," I said, blushing slightly, which must've been a trip to see on Trace's face. I smiled mischievously at the possibilities I could do. I dismissed them, of course, and sat down on his bed instead. Lightning joined me. Weirdly enough, I still snuggled closer to him, despite the awkwardness of Trace's body.

In his arms, though, there was something very off about him. He was rigid, as if barely in control of his own body. I didn't think anything of it. I couldn't bring myself to ask. I just enjoyed his company, his touch, even if it wasn't against my skin. It was…a strange experience, indeed.

Trace's Point of View

Kairi's body was light and weak. Each touch against her skin was intensified. Her sight was poor, almost dim in comparison to my usual vision. Her smell was pretty terrible, too. But I could smell Kiyo. He scent was fresh in my nostrils. She hadn't been here long, so it was fresh in the air around Kairi.

An explosion of emotions barreled through her. I was taken aback at how many feelings were surrounding her. Several of Mpopyya's members were housed near, including Yomi and Yoru. I could feel their essence. She had connections to Yomi, Kiyo, and her servant, so a lot of these flooding emotions could be emitting from them. But there was more. So much more.

Kiyo distracted me from pondering this strange phenomenon. "What have you come for?" she asked.

"I've come to talk of the past," I replied evenly.

"Why are you acting so formal?" she asked, squinting as if she were having trouble seeing me.

"Why not act formal?" I replied with question. "You don't know me any better."

"Well…," she paused for a moment, as if wondering how she _did_ know that it wasn't in my nature to be formal. "You just aren't supposed to be formal. You're supposed to be cocky."

"But how do you know?" I asked with a smirk. It was my first show of cockiness to her. Her dark blue black hair framed her face in messy tangles that were cute on her. Her eyes were shadowed with dark bags underneath. "And why haven't you been sleeping very well?"

"I've been busy lately," she replied. She had ignored the first question.

"Busy with what? And don't think I've forgotten the first question I asked," I said slyly.

"Queen Stuff," she said evasively. Very evasive. "I just imagined you as a cocky, arrogant ass hole." Ouch. Not really. She had called me such names before.

"Do you know why you imagined me that way?" Kiyo shook her head. "Due to your past lives with me, you have a subconscious image of me that is automatically summoned at the thought or mention of me. You don't even know it happens. You past lives influence a lot."

"I didn't know that," she said after a moment. "What kind of things happened between us?" It was an off question. I wasn't sure how to reply. So I let the first thing that came to mind flow into a sentence.

"Kiss, hold hands, sex, and other normal things that couples do, silly Kiyo." It was a light tone that I had used. She was blushing like crazy; I only smiled.

"You and I…!?" she began, but couldn't finish. She was flustered. It was adorable.

"Yep," I said in a lazy, flirtatious voice. It sounded strange coming from Kairi's mouth instead of mine. Kiyo was quiet for a long time.

"Do you…you know, still love me?" she finally asked. Ah, but I knew this question was bound to spring up.

"Completely and whole-heartedly," I replied with ease. "I love you, Kiyo Everdusk."

Kiyo said absolutely nothing. I was almost worried that she had decided that was too much. But she spoke after an eternity seemed to have passed. "Well that's a lot to take in."

"Well, they were past lives," I said.

"But you _are_ in love with me," she pointed out.

"I _was_ and still _am_, but details can be spared," I winked.

Her blush spread, and she looked down at Kairi's pink bedspread as she played with a loose string in her comforter.

"Um…Trace," she seemed to be saying my name as if it was a question. Like she wasn't sure she could call me that. "I find it very awkward when you wink at me while your possessing Kairi," Kiyo said. Her gaze was still fixed on the string she spun between her fingers. I laughed a genuine laugh. That was probably the first time I laughed in long time.

"I can understand that, my dear. Very well, I will return someday in my actually body, so it won't be so awkward for you," I said as a smirk slid across Kairi's face. I thought I almost saw a smile break across her face. I wondered what really was keeping her from sleeping at night.

"Someday…I don't want the details to be spared. Okay?" Kiyo said, as she finally glanced up at me or should I say Kairi.

"Of course, my lady," I said with a sly smile. With that Kiyo rose from the bed and walked towards the door; however, before she left she turned to look back at me and smiled. Then she was gone.

My mind's eye showed an awkward Kairi in my body, leaning into Lightning's embrace. _Way to make me look gay, Kairi,_ I thought as I loosened my control on Kairi's body. I felt myself slip back into my own, forcing Kairi out.

With a strong shove, I pushed Lightning away. "Get the hell away from me, kohai." Kairi, disoriented, landed in her body with a jolt. She shivered and her body went limp on her bed.

_What the…?_ She had said it out loud, but I heard it as a thought. Lightning gave me a glum look before picking himself off the floor.

Kiyo's Point of View

_ I was just talking to Trace, Elliot's second in command, Trace. He said he was in love with me. Could it all be a trick to get me to trust him, so it would be easier to kill me? Or did he actually…love me? Did that mean I loved him? I don't think I do. _These were all questions my mind threw at me as I walked down the dimly light corridor from Kairi's room. I walked past my room, and continued down the long hallway. I passed a guard or two, and they simply nodded at me, assuming I had a reason to be up this late. I took a left down the next corridor, and walked to the door at the end of the hallway. I didn't bother knocking as I turned the door knob. As entered the room, he sat up in his bed as if he was never asleep, though I knew he was. He had sensed me outside his door, and he had awoken.

"Kiyo," he whispered. "What's wrong, my love?" his voice was gravely from sleep, and he wore no shirt. His body gleamed in the moonlight streaming from his balcony.

I walked to the end of his bed, and snuggled under the covers until I reached the pillows. I turned and hid my face in his shoulder.

"I had that dream again," I mumbled against his smooth skin. His scent overwhelmed me in a comforting way. His sheets were soft against my skin. His body warmth soothed my chilled body. I felt his arms wrap around me, and his face pressed against my hair.

"It's just a dream, sweet heart. I promise you, everything is okay. You're safe. I've got you," he whispered gently into my ear as he kissed my head. I yawned, extremely tired. I knew I would be able to sleep now.

"Think we can sleep in tomorrow?" I said in between yawns. I felt his chuckle ripple throughout his chest.

"Of course, my dear," he said as he snuggled closer to me, sensing I was about to fall asleep.

"I love you so much," I said as my eyes slipped closed.

"I love you, too, Kiyo," Ash said, as he began to hum a sweet melody into my ear as I fell into a deep, peaceful sleep for the first time in a week.

15


	49. Heroes and Villians

_**~Chapter Forty-Eight: Heroes and Villains ~**_

Kairi's Point of View

"Milady, your teacher calls for you." I grunted a response before a gentle shaking tousled my sleep. I stretched and yawned as my toes slid out from under my thin blanket I'd been using since it had been getting warm.

When I opened my eyes, a sweet faced maiden stood above me in a maid outfit. "What?" I said a little disoriented.

"Sir Justuo wants you in the Training Grounds as soon as you can. He said that it's urgent," she said with a smile. I nodded groggily, and glanced out my window to see the dark morning sky. I sighed before standing sloppily. I stumbled to my wardrobe, and pulled out some training clothes. The maid girl left, and I dressed in slow motion.

I glanced at Lancer, who slept at the other edge of my bed. I grabbed a jacket before leaving the room and making my way to the castle grounds.

The chilly morning air caught my breath as I opened the door to the training grounds. The wind was blowing, and it made it seem colder than it really was. I wonder idly if the rest of Mpopyya had been summoned, too. I counted eight silhouettes in the middle of the training grounds; one too many for Avalanche.

As I grew closer, their faces were revealed. Kimi was among them. "You called?" I said through chattering teeth. "Should I start warm ups?"

"No, it's three in the morning, Kairi," Justuo said. "We came because we need you to take care of Kimi."

"What's wrong with her?" I asked, looking at her. She seemed okay, no wounds. "Is she hurt?"

"No. She's stuck as a Felion, even when she goes back to the Human World," Prompto replied.

"We can't let her parents find out, so we have to keep her away from them while also keeping her in touch with them," Serein explained.

"And Kiyo herself said that she could probably stay at the castle," Aki finished. I pursed my lips, and nodded.

"I can definitely ask. I'm sure someone's awake. I don't think Ashu-Niisama is, but I can talk to Rath or someone else like Fear," I yawned.

"Thanks, Kairi," Kimi said quietly. She seemed exhausted, too.

"I'd keep her in the Human World, but her mother and father are insisting her come home," Justuo said.

"I had to tell her I was staying at a friend's house and that I couldn't come home," Kimi added. "But they're persistent. It'd be easier if I stayed in another world."

"You're welcome to crash on my couch if you'd like," I said with a sleepy smile.

"Thanks, Kairi," she said with a small smile. It must've been hard for Kimi to lie to her parents. I didn't know if I could lie to my parents about coming home.

"Thank you, kohai," Justuo said.

"We'll be back tomorrow," Aki continued.

"We've got training to do!" Serein's bubbly voice finished.

I smiled at their connected thoughts and sentences and nodded. "Yea, I know," I replied. "Night."

"Good night, Devinia," Fayt said with a nod.

"Sleep well," Prompto said. Akira and Hana nodded as Kimi and I retreated back to the castle.

Justuo's Point of View

I felt myself slipping into the memory of the night that Kimi first went back to the Human World as we trudged our way to our apartments in Zephyr for the night; no point in staying in the Human World for a few hours and having to come back in the morning.

_ The still, non-magical air filled my lungs. Crickets chirped softly in the surrounding grass. All was silent with the exception of Kimi and Fayt's breathing. Kimi was behind me, Fayt in front. I was still letting the Ash and Kiyo moments replay in my head._

_ "The Seraph is gone," I said to Fayt._

_ "It could've stuck around. I wanted to make sure," Fayt said. "Brother, don't let your heart ache." Fayt put his hand on my shoulder firmly. I nodded, looking down for a moment before turning to take care of Kimi._

_ And cursed out loud when I saw her. Bright, reflective eyes stared back at me. Her ears fidgeted at the noises around her. Her tail twitched to and fro like an automatic, subconscious jitter. Her eyes drank in the darkened scenery that had once been impossible for her to see._

_ "Damn it," I muttered. "Fayt, we're going to need the rest of Avalanche._

_ "She didn't turn back," Fayt noted._

_ "Wait, why?" Kimi asked. She glanced down at herself. She was still wearing the clothes from the Paranormal World, and her hair was still black and multi-colored._

_ "My parents are going to kill me if I go home looking like this," Kimi said, pinching the bridge of her nose._

_ Half an hour later, Avalanche was staring at Kimi in curiosity. "Tobi never said she'd turn back," Serein commented. _

_ I saw Aki and Prompto nudged each other before Aki said, "I don't know about you, but like the changes."_

_ "I like the tail. I wonder if you'd meow when you got turned on," Prompto added. He grabbed Kimi's tail in the process. I laughed when Kimi turned to and slapped him in the face._

_ "This isn't the time for jokes, perverts," Hana said in a deadly voice. Aki and Prompto cowered at her death glare._

_ "She's so scary…," Aki whispered as he and Prompto shuffled away from Hana._

_ "She's just going to have to call her parents and make something up," Akira said after a moment._

_ "That seems like the only logical thing we can do," Serein said with a shrug. "We'll figure something out, Kimi."_

_ "She can stay at my house for tonight. Give your parents a call," I said. "We'll meet up tomorrow and see what we can do."_

_ "See you, brother," Aki said. He punched my arm in a playful sense. Fayt, Prompto, and Aki left towards the woods. Serein and Hana gave comforting words to Kimi, who was probably freaked out by everything that had happened today. I cursed myself for getting caught again._

"Hey, are you showering tonight, bro?" Aki asked bringing me out of the memory I had relived on our way to our apartment. I glanced at the living room that was littered with small pieces of napkin, plates of unfinished food (mostly vegetables and some white meats), and random trinkets.

"Nah, not tonight. I'm too tired, honestly," I said. A yawn caught in my throat as if to prove as evidence.

"Alright, guess I'll see you tomorrow," Aki said as he ascended the stairs. I walked into the kitchen of me, Aki, and Fayt's apartment; a joint one to Akira and Prompto's apartment. I stepped past Fayt, who was filling a glass with water using his magic.

"You mind getting me some?" I asked as I pulled a glass from the cabinets – which were getting bare. Someone would have to do the dishes soon.

"Of course, man," he said. He snapped, and water rose from the bottom of the cup, stopping an inch from the top. Nice and cold, too.

"Thanks," I said walking back through the doorway and into the small living room. "I guess I'm heading up," I whispered. Despite the distance from the living room to the kitchen, I knew he'd hear it.

"I'll see you in the morning, Justuo," Fayt replied quietly.

"I can hear you guys, come on." Aki's voice was muffled by the floor, but it was still pretty clear. "I'm trying to sleep," he complained.

"Yea, yea," I said as Fayt said, "Sorry." I ascended the steps quickly, ready to be in my bedroom to get some shut eye before dealing with tomorrow's problems involving Kimi and Mpopyya. My room was messy, cluttered, and homely. Posters of bands from the Human World hung on the walls and video game logos decorated the walls, as well. My television was connected my game system and several remotes and game disks and cases were scattered around on desks and shelves. An incense tray with grey ashes lay upon the side table beside my bed – a box spring and mattress on the floor without a bed frame. The covers were messy. My small book case was filled and several miscellaneous books on magic and species lay in no particular order on top and around it.

I plopped down on the bed, pulled another cone of incense out and lit it with my finger easily. Instantly, I smelled the familiar scent of home, or Feywood, rather, fill the room. I grabbed the picture beside the incense, smiling when I saw Kiyo's happy smile from the Human World. I sighed, letting those memories carry me down into a slumber of dreamless sleep.

Kiyo's Point of View

"Love, it's time to wake up," Ash's voice whispered. I smiled without opening my eyes. His arms wrapped around me, strong and warm under the soft sheets.

"Good morning," I said after a moment. I opened my eyes to find soft light spilling into the room from his balcony much like the moonlight had done the night before. It was the latest I'd slept in a week or two. It was nice, and I felt like I could take today's queenly tasks. It was Friday, and I knew that if I could get through today's training and duties, then I would be able to take the whole weekend off.

The day started off with breakfast next to Ash at the head of the dining hall. His inner circle members, including Raj, who was given disdainful glares from Avalanche and Mpopyya members that passed by and sat at their tables, sat with us as we spoke of royal and political affairs. Mpopyya and Avalanche sat at two tables, right next to each other. There were so many people in each of our groups that they couldn't fit at one of the smaller tables. Avalanche had gotten here earlier than usual, probably ready to actually teach us something today considering we didn't get anything done yesterday.

Breakfast went by, and I met up with Kairi and the others to get dressed. Training for half the day really wore me down. I learned more control with fire, which was mentally exhausting, but I held firm, promising everybody that I was fine. Truthfully, the day before yesterday was a physical, a mental, and even an emotional drain. Sparring with Justuo had been bitter sweet. It was nice to hear his old flirting ways, but terrible at the same time. I wouldn't be with Justuo again, not in this life. My decision was final.

We also did more hand-to-hand combat. Nice and slow hand-to-hand combat. So it was strangely almost a repeat of the day before yesterday in the sense of Justuo and me. Lunch time came, and as I walked to my room before heading to the shower in Ash's room, I thought of Haiiroyasha, my poor spirit weapon that never got any use.

_Some master I am,_ I thought to myself. It wasn't long after that she replied.

_You are a wonderful young master with a lot of burden to bear. If there is anything that I can do for you, then I will gladly carry it out, even if I am not used to the utmost of my abilities. I came to you in your time of need, to protect your friends from one another and to protect my siblings from clashing. You are a Phoenix, Lady Kiyo, and a very important one at that. Until I feel comfortable leaving you, I will not bow to the demands of society. Unless, that is, you wish to release your mastery of me. All is up to you._ Haiiroyasha, wise as ever, finished her speech with a mental bow in lioness form. It gave me a warm feel of comfort.

"Thanks," I whispered aloud. A warm surge of encouragement gave me her 'you're welcome.' I said a hello to Axel and Archer upon entering my room. Lancer wasn't there, and I wondered why the three weren't together, like always.

Showered, dressed, and primped, I met with Ash in the throne room where he and Rath spoke quietly. Upon my arrival, their talking ceased, and they greeted me. I was a bit suspicious as to what they were talking about, but thought nothing of it as Ash looked me over.

"What is it?" I asked, looking down. "Am I not wearing something that fits the occasion?" I had been working on speaking more formally to fit the image of queen, too.

"Love-," he began, but the sound of the side door I'd just entered through opening cut his thought off. His eyes fell on whoever had come through the door. I turned to see, as well. Justuo was walking across the room towards us.

"Hey Kiyo," Justuo greeted me. "Hello, Rath and Ash." He nodded to each of them, almost as if out of respect. I didn't believe that for a second.

"Hi," I said with a smile. "What brings you here? Shouldn't you be training?"

"That's what I was coming to ask about," he said almost matter-of-factly. "Will you be joining us later today?" He was being overly formal, knowing I'd catch it as the joke that it was.

"No, I'll be-," I began, but Ash spoke quickly.

"Actually, Kiyo, I was going to give you the day off. I was about to comment on the dark rings under your eyes," Ash said softly, though I knew he didn't like the idea of me and Justuo spending the whole day together.

"Really?" I said, touching below my eyes. I cursed under my breath for forgetting to put on some foundation to cover the bags.

"Yes, of course," Ash said. "Don't over exert yourself, Kiyo."

"I know," I said with a smile. "I won't."

"So you _are_ with us today?" Justuo asked.

I paused, unsure if I really wanted to train anymore today. I was tired, exhausted. Today was one of the days that I could feel my Transformation acting up. I didn't want to take any chances of true over exertion.

But I did want to see Justuo, Kairi, and the rest of Mpopyya. I sighed, and said, "Can I get some fresh air first?"

"Of course," Justuo and Ash said in unison. They glanced at each other for a second, and I couldn't help but smile. I pretended the smile was in gratitude instead of humor at their irony.

"Thanks," I said before walking towards the larger door that led to the hall that let out into the Garden Courtyard.

"Don't go too far, okay?" Justuo called after me.

"Not past Zephyr, Love," Ash added.

"Don't you think that's a little far?" Justuo asked him. I smiled as Ash and Justuo broke into a miniature argument.

"No, I could feel someone dangerous enough to be a threat to her within Zephyr," Ash replied.

"But a well trained assassin could come from Elliot's side," Justuo pointed out.

"Ah, but I have inner circle members stationed in East and West Zephyr," Ash countered.

I didn't hear the rest. I giggled to myself after I'd left the room. They couldn't agree on anything. Besides, hadn't Justuo learned the day before yesterday that I was pretty well protected, especially when it came to magic and some physical fighters?

Warm sun met me when I opened the doors at the end of the hall. I nodded to the guards in front of the throne room doors and then, to the ones outside the castle in the Garden Courtyard. It was nice for the breath of fresh air, but it still didn't smell of freedom. I wanted out of the walls, and quickly.

I started forward, passing the Fountain of Dreams and the Oasis Fountain (my personal favorite). I came to the guard post next to the draw bridge, and watched as the bridge lowered onto the flat cobblestone street that led into Zephyr.

I was free, then. I was enthusiastic to get into those crowds of people that called me queen. It was the first time I had gone to Zephyr alone. People smiled and nodded in my direction; some stopped and even bowed. I wasn't pleased with the idea of them bowing to me, but I couldn't tell them not to do something that had been drilled into their heads for so long.

I loved Zephyr so much. The town itself was beautiful with the cobblestone road, and the Tudor houses and buildings. It was spring and beautiful flowers bloomed from the new baby grass while small leaves began to make their homes on bare tree branches. Spring had always been one of my favorite seasons for many reasons, but mostly because I think nature is rejuvenating itself, and the life outside is waking from slumber.

I pulled my maroon sweater tighter around me as a chilly wind that held winter's remains swept through the air, rustling my natural wavy hair. I had put on a nice knee-length, semi-casual dress that was a rusty orange color with my favorite wool sweater that zipped up in the front. I wasn't wearing my crown because I didn't know I would be leaving the castle, but I didn't think anybody really noticed.

I went in my favorite bookstore in Zephyr, "The Leather Backs." All their book covers were made of leather and their collection was full of books found in random places or that belonged to others before. Sometimes I would come across a journal or two. Those were my favorite to read because I felt like the person wrote that journal for someone to find it and read it. I felt like I was cherishing their life in a way. Mr. Beetle smiled at me as I entered the store. He owned the store, and he had come to know me very well since I came by as much as I could.

"Your majesty," he said, bowing slightly. He was on old Human man who had stark white hair that couldn't quite seem to stay in one place. He had a crinkly smile and so many wrinkles he sometimes resembled a bull dog. Mr. Beetle knew everything there was to know about the Paranormal World. He was even alive when Ash's parents were still in power. Of course he was still quite young then. I walked over to the counter and slid onto the stool he had sitting to the side of it.

"How are you, Mr. Beetle?" I asked, while scanning his face to see if he actually was doing well.

"I'm still alive and happy if that's what you mean," he laughed. I smiled.

"I'm glad to hear it," I said sincerely. He reached underneath the counter, and handed me a book. It had a dark brown leather cover with a bow and arrow carved on the front. I took the book and looked it over. It seemed to be really old.

"I thought you might find that interesting. It's a journal from quite a while ago," Mr. Beetle said with a knowing smile. I turned it over in my hands, amazed that it had survived this long in such good condition.

"Thank you so much!" I said as I rose off the stool. I handed Mr. Beetle a few gold coins, which he kindly accepted, because he knew if he didn't take them, I would make a fuss. "It's been so great seeing you, but I should probably be heading back to the castle." I turned to go, but Mr. Beetle's next words made me turn back.

"Hurry back to the castle, your majesty, and be on your guard. I feel something in the air. There is evil presence in Zephyr today. I was just about to lock up before you came by," he said as he walked to the window on the other side of the counter. "There's something dark out there, and it's not leaving until it gets what it came for."

A shiver slid down my back, and I felt someone's eyes boring into my back. I looked over my shoulder and scanned the bookstore, but saw nothing. I was really regretting coming out here by myself. _Just leave and head back to the castle as fast you can. You're not that far from the gate. Just keep calm,_ I thought to myself.

"Thanks for the warning, Mr. Beetle. I'll head back right now," I said, opening the door. He nodded at me with a glaze in his eyes. I shut the door and took a deep breath as I stepped outside.

I glanced around me nervously. Mr. Beetle had really gotten to me with what he said, but I knew I couldn't act like anything was wrong. I melted back into the thinning crowd of people in Zephyr. Everyone seemed to sense something was up because there were less people out in the streets than usual. Even the sky hard darkened a little with gloomy, foreboding clouds blotting out the sun. I looked for some guards or somebody from the castle, but none were around. That was odd because usually guards were roaming the streets and Ash's inner circle was keeping a look out for enemies.

I started walking faster and noticed I was a lot farther from the castle than I originally thought. Suddenly, I reached the outskirts of town where the grassy fields and forests met the cobblestone streets. I must have taken a wrong turn because I was so deep in thought. There was no one around, and the sun was starting to go down. _How long have I been out here?_ I thought to myself. Surely, Ash, Justuo, or Kairi would notice I've been gone for a while and they would start looking for me.

A cool breeze whistled through the air, chilling my bones. Somehow I had ended up at the west edge of town next to the dark, thick forest. I had only been in the forest once, and that was with Ash when we were traveling the Paranormal World. He had wanted to show a secret way to enter the town from the castle. There was some magical enchantment you had to utter to see the path though, and I couldn't remember it!

"_Ravaga Firus_," I whispered to the forest. Nothing happened. Well, that wasn't it. Suddenly, I heard a rustling coming from the woods. I took a step back, refusing to taking my eyes off the spot I had heard the noise. My stomach dropped, and my gut screamed at me to run, so I knew whatever was coming wasn't good. I tried to summon some magic, but because I was exhausted and overworked, it was really hard. I got dizzy just trying to make a force field.

I heard a low growl, and I felt Darkness swarming into the air. It was suffocating. It almost brought me to my knees, but then the power of it relaxed some. It was still there, causing me pain, but I actually had a chance of running now. I took another step back, but I ran into something that felt like a person. I shrieked and turned around only to come face to face with Raven, the most powerful Dark Phoenix, who wanted nothing more than my death in the most painful and torturous way.

I was stunned to speechlessness. His wicked smile widened as Darkness started to fill the air again. I took off running in into the dark, dense forest. It was a stupid move, but it was my instinct to get as far as I possibly could from him. Branches scratched my face and legs. The Darkness was getting to me. My head was pounding and my whole body screamed in pain. I felt as though everything important to me, everything I loved was being sucked from my body.

"Oh my dear, dear, Kiyo," Raven called to me in his sinister voice. I kept running. I couldn't look back. It was almost pitch black due to the sun having set, and I couldn't see anything. Suddenly, I saw blood red eyes glowing within a foot of where I was running to. I stopped, and Raven materialized in front of me. I swallowed the scream that tried to escape from my throat.

"My dear Kiyo, haven't you learned running doesn't help you?" Raven asked, shaking his head at me. He stepped closer to me, but I held my ground. His Darkness was terrible. I honestly don't know what kept me from getting sick and my legs giving out on me. I could practically see the Darkness slithering in the air around him. I needed to come up with a plan, so I could get away. Raven came forward and caressed my face with his hand. I wanted to slap it away, but I knew that wouldn't help anything.

"You seem so tired and weak, my dear. The dark bags under your eyes prove this. Your transformation is acting up isn't it?" Raven sneered, as he pushed my hair behind my ear. I wanted to be sick. The Darkness was blurring my vision, and I was holding back whimpers of agony.

"That Darkness must hurt. It must feel as if all the happiness of your life is being sucked away from you and all that is left is your pathetic weakness. Not to mention how physically painful it is. I believe you once described it as having yourself lit on fire from the inside out? Such a pity for a beautiful and powerful Phoenix as you to suffer," he whispered into my ear.

I was shaking out of fear and anger. That was it. I'd had enough. I summoned Haiiroyasha. I sliced at Raven with as much force as I could. He hissed, clutching his arm. I took off running. Haiiroyasha took on lion form, and I quickly hopped on her back. I collapsed against her. I was so weak from the Darkness, and had I used all my power to summon her.

We didn't get far, before she began to slow. _Master, I'm slipping. You need more power. _Haiiroyasha said. Seconds later, she spoke in an agonized tone. _I'm so sorry, Master_. Then, she disappeared, and I hit the ground hard. I cried out in pain because I landed on a root of a tree. There would be bruises there by the morning. I tried to push myself up, but I couldn't. Darkness flushed through the area, thicker than before. I cried out, wishing it would stop.

_You're going to die. No one's here to save you now, your majesty. How pathetic. I'm going to get you. _Raven's unwanted thoughts slid into my head. He was in my head! I tried to shove him out, but I just couldn't. I knew I had to get away from him. I found some strength, probably borrowed from Kiyo, Ash, or even Yomi, and pushed my body up from the ground. I yelped when a lightning-like pain shot through my torso as I started to run, and grabbed my ribs. I thought one of them was broken.

As I ran through the forest, clumsily tripping over roots and running into branches, I saw something move in the corner of my eye. A black shadow crossed in front of me, and I heard the ominous moaning that signaled what it was. The Dead Phoenixes were surrounding me.

And then, the Darkness reached the highest point it had all night, and I found myself on the ground. Shrieks and sobs bubbled from my throat. "Make it stop! Make it stop! Someone help me! Help me!" I cried out. Tendrils of Darkness that I could practically feel graze my skin pressed closer to me. I tried to crawl away, but I saw the end of Raven's black cloak in front of me. I looked up to meet his dark red eyes. He knocked me onto my back with ease, and something sharp cut into me. I tried to enter Kairi's mind, but I didn't have enough power to break down her mental block.

I writhed in agony as the Darkness, if it was even possible at this point, got worse. Horrible, sickening sounds ripped out of me in a never ending pattern. Raven laughed hysterically, almost like a mad man does when he gets his next kill. He kicked me in the side, and I heard something crack. I howled in pain along with the whimpers, screams, and sobs. I was past tears.

"Hmm…you're not in enough pain yet for my taste. I want you begging for death. I want you to be in so much pain you can't bear to breathe," Raven hissed as the Darkness increased dramatically. He started planting awful images in my mind. The first to come was of Kairi, Ash, Justuo, and all my dear friends being tortured and dying. The next was my family. Then, he started to torture me with all the bad memories of my life. Being molested, my mom going to the hospital, Connor's suicide, and all the times Justuo hurt me. Human World memories I tried my damnedest to forget.

"Stop!" I pleaded. "Please stop!" I begged. I couldn't take it, this torture, if you could even call it torture. It was hell. If there ever was a hell, this had to be it.

Raven leaned down close to my face and whispered, "But my dear, you haven't suffered enough yet," then he kicked me in the face. I felt my nose break and blood started gush all over me.

"What did I ever do to you!?" I shouted hoarsely as the blood soaked my favorite sweatshirt and my rusty orange dress.

He kicked me in the side again, hard enough to send me flying backwards through the dirt. My head hit the ground hard. "You were reborn into this life, child." Raven's words were cryptic, and I couldn't make sense of them even if I tried.

The Darkness became so unbearable I couldn't speak. A mix of sobs and screams of tortuous agony were tearing out of my throat. Raven walked towards me with a sadistic smirk planted on his face. I knew I was dying. The Darkness was destroying my body. I was going to die in agony. Alone.

"So, where's your great Guardian? Where is your king? Where is MPOPYYA? Where's your almighty dark angel, Justuo? There's no one here to save you now, and you cannot save yourself. You know why they're not here, my sweet? They're not here because they don't love you. They don't need you. They don't want you. You are nothing. You mean nothing, and you're going to die," Raven laughed menacingly. It was a low, throaty laugh. He wiped a tear from my cheek.

"Don't cry, my love. It's going to be so great without you." Raven smirked, and stood up. Just when I felt myself start slipping some, I heard someone running through the woods, and then my eyes slipped closed. My mind became an empty void of decay.

Trace's Point of View

"Hello, Master," I said as I passed Elliot in the hallway on my way to my room. He nodded to me, but said nothing. This indicated he was in deep thought, and I knew better than to bother him today. I was just off of Guard duty, and it felt nice to be free. I was tired after the long, uneventful night. I was running on three hours of rest for the past two days, which, honestly, wouldn't be so bad if I wasn't so hungry. I'd see if anyone was willing to donate tonight; fresh blood was always the best.

Upon arriving in my room, I found I was beaten to the punch. A donor girl with blond hair sat on my bed with her legs crossed. She smelled of fresh trees and nature, but there was no mistaking this girl for something she was not. She was a Sanctian, probably fresh to the castle, and new to the royal donor life.

I didn't offer a sneer of dominance like I did to most of the people I fed from. I was too exhausted for games. She spoke in a voice that told me she was not on the "Virgin Bucket-List," and I was probably her first feeder. I gave an exasperated sigh as she spoke.

"Hello, Mr. Cutie," she began, and I felt my stomach lurch at her unattractive, high-pitch tone. Where had she come from? She seemed to hold herself like she was better than the normal donors. I'd have to stamp her confidence out. "My names Ar-," she began, but I quickly cut her off.

"I could give two shits about your name, and even less about what you think of me. You're a feeder. I eat you. You leave. There doesn't need to be useless association."

"Oh…," she said, seemingly taken aback by my cool tone and irritated vibe. "Alright then." I didn't take my time getting to my bed, pushing her back onto it, and cutting into her neck tissue with my fangs.

She sighed softly as I felt that oozing, wonderful burst of warmth that filled my mouth and throat. It held power and I took it relentlessly. When her heart began to slow, I pulled away, wiping my mouth with the back of my hand.

The donor girl sat there, dazed for several seconds before I pulled her up by the wrist, and led her to the door. "Eat sugar, healthy, etcetera, etcetera. You know the drift." I opened the door, and gave her a little shove out. She stumbled and I closed the door before I had to deal with her any longer.

With a rejuvenated system and an alert mind, I searched for Midnight. She was in the grounds with Lightning. That was an irritation that I didn't admit to myself. With a sudden intensity that surprised even me, I felt a jarring probe in my mind from Kairi's mind connection.

I reclined on my bed before checking in with her. She was distraught.

_ "How long ago did she leave?!" Kairi demanded of Ash._

_ "It has been too long, and that's all that matters. Fetch Night Rider, Rath, and Edge, Jack," Ash barked to a servant boy._

_ "I'm going with you," Kairi said with conviction. "And you can't stop me, Ash, not this time."_

_ "Kairi, take a deep breath, and gather yourself. Don't let hysteria control you," Ash said to her comfortingly._

_ Can I ask what the hell is going on?_ I thought to Kairi. She didn't think back a reply at first.

_Kiyo left the castle hours ago. Trace, please, go look for her_. I could see her face in my mind's eye; she was quivering with anxiety and rage.

I was already crossing the room before her image could fade. _I'm on the way. Any leads?_

_ No…but who would go after Kiyo?_ Kairi implied just enough information to give me a good idea of what to expect and where to look.

I blocked her out, then, already halfway to the grounds. No one stopped me, and I thanked the Fates they didn't. Kiyo was in danger, and my sixth sense confirmed it. It didn't take long for me to get out of the castle ground limits and out of the town limits. I created a portal to the Paranormal World, as close to Zephyr as I could get it without being detected by Ash and his circle of rejects.

I stepped through the rift in reality, and felt myself falling.

A disruption pulsed through the area; Darkness was pooling around me. I could feel the magical resonance belonged to Raven, meaning he was still attacking Kiyo. I had sensed her before, wandering around the outskirts of Zephyr and got curious as to why. I took off running in the direction of the strong Darkness, allowing my own to stir to the surface and fill my strength and speed.

The trees around me blurred with speed, and I could sense that I was close to Ash's castle. A strong, powerful presence was felt within a few miles of the great fortress he harbored. As I continued to allow the Darkness within myself to rise, I felt my being change. My thinking changed, and I slowly felt myself slip into a high-chuckling state.

I wouldn't enter Black Angel. It wasn't controllable just yet, and too dangerous to do when I was around my precious Kiyo. She was too weak against Darkness, precisely why Raven was using it against her.

And that was unacceptable.

I broke free of the trees, and saw them. Kiyo was on the ground, weakly writhing near where Raven was looming over her. I raced forward, unsheathing my Beautiful Disaster. At the sound of my fast approach, Raven turned. He let a sneer form on his lips. When I stopped, I pointed my sword at the Dark Phoenix.

"Trace," Raven said, nodding.

"Let me have Kiyo," I snapped, automatically. I wasn't playing his dark little games. Old memories of times we used to train together played in my mind's eye. He had left after Razor's death.

"But watching her writhe is so much fun," Raven mused turning his head back to Kiyo's writhing and crying figure. A sick laugh ripped through my throat without permission.

"Oh, is that so?" I snickered. "Do you want to be the one writhing, Raven? 'Cause I can make you writhe. I promise you that."

"Why start a fight? Why not make an exchange?" Raven asked, amused by my threats. My sadistic smile darkened as my fangs slid out, and the Darkness poured into me, hitting the one hundred and thirty percent mark.

"Yea, how about you give me Kiyo, and I'll let you live?" I offered before another laughed slipped through my clenched teeth.

"Or maybe your blood for her's?" Raven said, raising an eyebrow. His offer had me howling with laughter before I could answer.

"My blood is the price?" I asked after finally sobering up a little. Raven nodded once, before Kiyo began writhing worse than before. Without another word, I placed my left hand on Beautiful Disaster's blade, and sliced quickly.

"Do what you want," I spat as I offered it to him. Giving someone my blood was a sacrifice of pride and dignity. But my precious Kiyo was worthy of such sacrifice. Raven smirked before grabbing my wrist and licking the thin line that was now crying scarlet beads.

After two licks, I jerked my hand from him, licked it myself to close the wound, and went to Kiyo's side. Raven stepped back towards the shadows of the surrounding woods. "Ah, the taste of immortal blood; how sweet a taste," he mused before blending and fading into the shadowed forest.

Kiyo had gone still except for her fast, shallow pants. My Darkness was already fading away, leaving only Kiyo's pureness. Kiyo's eyes were squeezed shut in pain. I lifted her quickly, and pressed her to me, willing my soul to absorb any Darkness Raven had left behind.

After feeling the eternal wound the Darkness left on my soul, I gently shook Kiyo. She whimpered quietly. I wished I could soothe her further, and make her feel more comfortable. After a few moments of silent shaking, Kiyo's eyes opened slowly.

Her eyes widened when she saw I was the one holding her. A gave her a cocky grin that hopefully came across as a teasing one. "Trace?" she asked, dumfounded.

"Hey, little girl," I said, gently shifting her weight in my arms.

"What…? Where's Raven? Why are you here? Where's Ash?" Kiyo asked, looking around as if she were a lost child looking for her daddy.

"Is that how you usually wake up in the mornings?" I asked, jokingly. I found it really easy to allow myself to feel, and to allow myself to love every second of her soft skin against my arms.

"No…?" Kiyo asked, confused. "Who saved me? Where's Kairi?"

I chuckled easily, a real chuckle of amusement instead of my normal sarcastic shit. "I saved you, silly."

Kiyo stared at me for a little while before she relaxed in my arms. "Why?" She looked down then, and I guessed she was remembering what I had told her when I had spoken to her through Kairi.

The question threw me off, though, and I found myself answering before I could even comprehend her words, much less mine. "Because life without you sucks."

Her cheeks went slightly pink, and I found myself feeling a bit embarrassed at saying such a thing so openly to anyone, even her. "Oh…"

"I'll take you home now," I said roughly. I could feel a strong draw towards her, and all I wanted to do was kiss her soft lips, just once, and allow myself to be lost in the bliss of love again. But I couldn't bring myself to do that. Not now. She wasn't ready for me, nor would she ever be in this life.

As I stood with her still in my arms, she asked, "Were we really together in other lives?"

"Yes; a lot of them. We used to be in love," I said, trying to sound indifferent. Her grip on the front of my shirt tightened as we began to walk. I shifted her weight in my arms, but she squirmed a bit. "What is it?" I asked.

"Set me down. I think I can walk," Kiyo said. I sat her down reluctantly, and helped her stand straight. Kiyo winced in pain, and almost fell but I caught her by the waist, and steadied her. She looked up at me, a twinkle of her past lives flashed in her eyes, and that's all I could take.

My lips met hers, and I automatically pulled her closer. She moved her lips in sync with mine, and I found us stumbling back a bit. My tongue brushed against her lips as I pushed her against a nearby tree. Hungry for more of her, I bit her bottom lip gently. She opened her mouth and allowed my tongue access to explore her mouth.

And as I tasted her tongue, I felt so much more. I felt an essence of her soul. She was confused, scared, lustful, and happy; so many feelings, almost like I was slipping into her being. Breathless, I broke the kiss, too soon for either of us. We both panted heavily and leaned on the tree I had pushed Kiyo against.

"Oh my God…" she breathed. Understanding appeared in her eyes. "I…I used to love you! And we used to be inseparable."

My heart wrenched. "Yes…we were," I agreed. She put her hand to her head, and shook it as if to clear her mind. I hesitantly touched her cheek, and she met my eyes with flushed cheeks.

"I should go home," she murmured. Her words made me want to cry out in frustration. Why must she leave? Couldn't she stay with me?  
The thoughts were futile. I knew she had to. She would be ruffled enough by Raven's Darkness, and knowing about our past. I nodded numbly before saying, "Come here, _boku no Kiyo_."

As she walked towards me, she gave me a confused look. "What does that mean?"

"My Kiyo," I said, as I picked her up and cradled her in my arms like I had many years ago when she was young.

"I like that," she said after a long silence. I smiled slightly and continued walking towards the castle's direction. As I did, I noticed her eyes drooping. She was tired and weak from what Raven had done to defile her body.

I put a rhythm to my step that would hopefully lull her to sleep. She snuggled closer to my chest, gripping my tight black T-shirt. I felt warmth tickle my heart for the first time in what felt like centuries.

"Sleep in heavenly peace, _boku no Kiyo_," I breathed. I began to sing, then, a song that was rather new to the worlds, and one that had originated in the Human World; _Hero,_ by Enrique Iglesias. With a small, gentle sigh, Kiyo was asleep. Her body relaxed, and I slowed my pace down. I didn't want to wake her, but most of all, I didn't want this moment to end. Memories flooded my mind, and I found that I couldn't help but watch them play through my mind's eye as I continued to sing softly.

_Dancing around never-ending circles; Kiyo's breath is gentle and in sync with mine. As we dance, her eyes slip close in bliss. I soon find I am supporting her weight. She whispers for me to carry her, and hold her forever until time itself ends._

_ So I listen to her wishes. I lift her up, and cradle her gently. Her long dress brushes the ground as I continue to dance with her in my arms. And as dawn approaches, many heart beats later, I find myself still dancing with my beautiful Kiyo._

_ But I am weary and tired, and can barely hold my love's weight. I lie down with her still enclosed on my arms. She pulls closer in her sleep as if she is automatically attracted to me. My eyes fall and consume both of us in the comforting darkness of sleep._

_ In that moment, we were one._

I blinked as the castle wall grew bigger with each step. We were close. And Kiyo was still asleep. I pulled the hood to my cloak up to hide my identity as I entered the streets of the town that surround the massive castle ahead.

The time it took for me to reach the gates was faster than I wanted it to be, but it didn't matter. The gates opened to reveal Ash and several others of his inner circle waiting, as if they had already been informed. Kairi was also standing by his side.

Ash wasn't surprised to see me, and, to my surprise, walked forward alone. Kairi seemed to follow at first, but Ash ushered her back to the others. Reluctantly, she did what she was told. Ash approached me quickly, holding his arms out for Kiyo. At first, I was very reluctant to give her to him. A flicker of impatience crossed his features, and I knew I had to give her up.

Gently extending Kiyo, I watched Ash take her just as gently as I had given her. "What happened to her?" he asked. He didn't sound angry or upset, but more relieved and worried. Was he tricking me?

"Raven had her. He was torturing her with that wretched Darkness he controls," I answered. Ash nodded to me.

"I know you love her, and I'm glad you found her," Ash finally said before stepping backwards. "But try to contain your lust." His teeth were clenched.

"I will always want what's best for her," I said, automatically. I ignored his last comment.

Ash's stare was hard as he said his next words. "Then you should really reconsider sides."

My teeth clenched as his had, and I found myself having to look away from him to keep control of my anger. "I already know that," I spat quietly. Silence followed my statement, and I glanced back to Kiyo one last time before turning.

"You want what is best for her? Then lie down, and allow me to slay you! You wretched filth! You fucking bloodsucking, festering piece of _trash_!" I turned rapidly to see who had spouted the insults. The voice was familiar. Justuo was walking towards me in haste with a dangerous look in his eyes.

I remember that look. The look that slayed many men. The rage that slayed Razor. I was instantly pummeled in the mind, while simultaneously feeling an assault on my body from his Darkness. Mine flared up in response. He had gotten stronger since last we met; I had never felt a Darkness such as his besides my own. His had a certain spice to it; maybe it was the Feavii.

"You want to relive the past Kohai, then so be it!" I shouted at him in anger that he would ruin this time with my Kiyo.

"I will ruin every hour of your waking existence, you leech!" he shouted as though he had read my mind. Ash had handed Kiyo off to Kairi by now and was physically holding him back despite the level of Darkness.

"Justuo you need to take control of yourself," Ash said. By this point, Justuo's Dogs, Avalanche, stormed out the door of the castle. Ash turned, "Do _not _make me call the circle, Justuo! If you need help, then let your friends or me, but stop this nonsense now!"

"Let him go, Ash. He won't do anything. It's just like always; all talk and no bite." I showed my fangs at this last remark as I heard the Darkness talking.

"WHY YOU BLOODSU-!" that's as much as Justuo got out before a noise that sounded like a jet bursting into flames rushed past my head singeing my hair. His friend Akihiko stopped the detonation before it hit something breakable.

"Stop it now, Justuo. Before the Angel comes out and the whole castle regrets tonight!" Akihiko shouted at him. There was a long pause.

"Only for Kiyo, but mark my words, Filth! I _will_ have my day with you." Justuo hung his head, as if he was ashamed of his forgetfulness to the safety of Kiyo. He and Ash walked away. Ash gave me a glance over the shoulder. "Avalanche, please escort our 'visitor' out," he stated rather blandly.

"Sure thing," said the Blue haired one.

"Fayt and I have got this," stated Akihiko.

"The two of us have got this, guys. We will meet up with you in just a bit," the one that was Fayt said to the others. This Fayt was a Feavii as well. I did not trust two Feavii to lead me threw the labyrinth of buildings and cobblestone road. If the both of them attacked, I would have a fight on my hands.

"You are sure?" said an Elf who I didn't recognize.

"Yes," said Akihiko with a grimace contorting his features. They walked me farther away from the castle and away from the entrance. No words were spoken, but I could feel the hate through Justuo's friends. They obviously knew of his real past with me. We approached the gate, and as I walked out, Akihiko stopped and turned. As I walked past, a whisper only a Feavii and Vampire could wield and heed entered my ears.

"Taste her again, leech, and he isn't the only Feavii you will learn to hold as a danger." Akihiko's words were as cold as his magic.

"I have been looking forward to the competition, Fairy, see you next time," I replied in a hushed whisper as I started the walk home. Elliot would be furious when he learned of my encounters and adventures today.


	50. Disbelief

_**~Chapter Forty-Nine: Disbelief~**_

Kairi's Point of View

The emotional force that was thick in the air around Trace and Justuo screamed at my senses. I knew they were about to unleash a whirl of Darkness. Then it came. Ash turned to me, handing Kiyo to me as he did. "Take her, Kairi," he said. "Away from here, if you will." Words were beginning to be exchanged.

"Of course," I said nodding. I quickly walked away from the scene as Darkness rushed through the grounds. Rath left with us, but Edge and Night Rider held firm by Ash's side. Rath took the lead as we weaved our way through the Garden Courtyard.

Once inside, we kept walking to put distance between us and Trace and Justuo. I let my mind wander into his. He and Trace were right in each other's face. I shuddered at the Darkness twisting through our connection. I did my best at pushing away that sickly feeling as I watched Justuo yelling and Trace taunting.

I shut them out. I was losing my grip on light, and I felt slightly giddy. "Rath, take Kiyo to the infirmary," I said in a queasy voice.

"What's wrong?" he asked, stopping to look back at me.

"I don't feel so good," I said. I quickly extended my protectant to him, and he didn't hesitate to take Kiyo from my grasp. I felt bile rise in the back of my throat. "Oh god," I whispered. "I'm going to be sick!" I stumbled backwards on accident before I took off running to Guardian Barracks – the closest bathroom I knew of.

"Kairi?" Rath called after me, but I was already halfway down the hall. I bit my lip to keep from throwing up. When I came up on the bathroom, Lancer met me in the hall. I ran past him, needing desperately to throw up.

"My lady?" he asked as he followed me. I shook my head as it happened. Gross. I was going to kill Trace and Justuo – Trace for making a mind connection with me; Justuo for starting a fight with Trace in the first place.

Kiyo's Point of View

I was barely aware of what was going on around me. I knew I was being carried, but I wasn't sure by whom. My whole body ached and my head felt like it was going to explode. The darkness had really messed me up. I felt like I was going to be sick. A groan of pain escaped my lips as I was laid on a bed.

"Sorry, my lady," Rath said. He must have been the one carrying me. His face was creased with fear, worry, and anger. Everyone must know what happened then. Did Trace tell them? Did Ash know? Where was Ash? Where was Kairi, Justuo, or the rest of Mpopyya? Rath must have sensed that I was confused, scared, and hurt.

"I'll go find his majesty and your friends, alright? Clover will need to heal you with light. Just lay still. You're safe now," he said as he softly touched my head. He stuck his head out the door and called to someone, but I couldn't hear who. Fear entered the room after Rath and two maids. I think their names were Madeline and Joy.

"I'll watch her until Lord Ash arrives," Fear said to Rath as she sat gently on the end of the bed. He nodded at her and left. "Madeline, grab some water and rags from the kitchen and awake Daisy, the phoenix, and bring her back with you. Joy, grab some pain pills from the cabinet over there. I'm not going to bandage her wounds until Ash returns. Then, stand outside the door, and make sure no one comes in unless it's Madeline or Ash," she commanded of the two maids. They both nodded and went to do their tasks.

I realized now that I must be in the hospital wing. My eyes couldn't seem to stay open, and I hurt so badly that I wanted to curse out loud at the top of my lungs. I coughed violently, and Fear gently pulled my head up off the pillow. She dropped two pills in a cup of water and pressed the cup to my lips. I quickly drank all of the water and the pills.

"That won't help the pain of the Darkness, but it will help the other physical wounds," Fear said, sitting back down at the end of the bed. I think I nodded in response to her, but I wasn't sure. I took a deep breath.

"Where is Ash and everybody else?" my voice whispered. It didn't sound like me. Fear winced as if hearing really confirmed how much pain I was in.

"I'm going to guess Justuo and his little posse are beating the shit out of Trace, and Ash is hunting down Raven to kill him. I would imagine everybody else is with Ash. Plus, a lot of guards are searching the grounds for Raven. Most of the maids and servants are scurrying around, following orders," Fear said lightly, but I saw her eyes darken when she spoke of Raven.

Suddenly, there was a loud commotion at the end of the hall and yelling soon followed. I couldn't make out the voice because my ears were ringing. Fear rose and looked at the door, waiting for whoever came through. The door slammed open and Justuo stormed in. Joy was shaking in the hallway floor. Justuo marched right up to Fear.

"Why the hell would you tell the maid not to let me in?" he roared at her. Fear just stood her ground.

"I told her only Ash was allowed in. Besides, all this yelling isn't good for the queen, and your Darkness isn't going to help anything, you stupid, uncaring dumbass! If you really cared about her majesty, you would control yourself and your Darkness before you hurt her worse!" Fear said with a violent edge to her voice. I saw Justuo's shoulders slump. Fear was still standing in front of him, so I couldn't see his face. Then, a pounding of feet was heard, and Ash practically flew through the doorway. He was by my side in a matter of micro-seconds. Before he could respond to my condition, Mpopyya barged in the door and practically ran Justuo over in the process.

"Where's Kiyo?!" Kairi shrieked. She appeared distressed, slightly pale, very angry, and even more worried. She had branches and leaves in her hair, and her clothes were dirty with dirt. The rest of Mpopyya resembled her. So, they had gone looking for Raven after all. How long had I been unconscious with Rath?

"Yea, where is she?" Mizu demanded. Yomi, Yoru, and Yami all nodded as if to agree with her. Ash turned around to glare at them when I spoke up before Kairi's glare could get any fiercer.

"I'm right here," I whispered hoarsely. Everyone turned to look at me. I wondered what they thought when they took in my scratched face, broken nose (unless my healing abilities had fixed that), the dried blood on my face, and all my bruises and bumps.

"Kiyo…" several of them whispered. I saw Yomi's eyes start to tear a little. Mizu put her arm around her. They all gathered around my bed. Daisy entered the room then. Daisy was a Phoenix that had taken up residence in Ash's castle for protection from the Dark Phoenixes and Dead Phoenixes. By the looks on my fellow Mpopyya member's faces, they hadn't been aware of Daisy's presence at the castle.

She was wearing a long, sky blue night gown, and her long blonde hair was twisted into a messy bun. I guess Madeline had woken her from sleep. She quickly walked to my side, and Ash moved out of her way.

"Oh you poor dear," she muttered, her hands fluttering around. Daisy was in her early forties and very motherly. Her son was killed in the Dark Times; he was only five at the time. Clover entered the room then. She was wearing long, velvet, forest green gown, and her long red curls hung over one shoulder. I faintly wondered where she had been when Trace brought me back to the castle.

Clover came to stand beside Daisy. She gave me a soft, sad smile before she closed her eyes, and I felt the warmth of light feeling my body. Daisy joined her, although she focused more on the healing aspect, whereas Clover was more centered on replenishing my light. I instantly felt more like myself. Almost as soon as it began it was over.

"The best thing she needs now is rest," Daisy said, giving Ash a knowing glance. She quickly ushered everyone out of the room once they had said their goodbyes, Mpopyya, especially Kairi, grumbling all the way about how they didn't get to stay. I smiled gently to myself. The only people left remaining were Ash, Justuo, Fear, and Clover. Madeline and Joy were waiting outside the door.

"You're going to be just fine, Lady Kiyo, so don't you worry a bit. Your body has already begun to heal itself," Clover said as she patted my hair softly.

"Thank you, Clover," I said, smiling at her. She merely shook her head and smiled. It was clear what she was implying. There was no need to thank her. She nodded once at Justuo, gave a slight bow to Ash, and gently touched Fear's arm as she left.

"Do you want me to watch her, Ash?" Fear asked him.

"No thanks, Fear. I'll be staying with her. Go get some rest. It's been a long day," Ash said as he pulled a chair up next to my bed and kissed my hand. I was happy he would be with me tonight.

"Guess, I'll go find Night Rider and call the search party off," she said as she headed for the door. She turned around before she left and looked at me. "I'm glad your back, your majesty. Plus, you've given me a free excuse to beat Raven's ass." She smirked as she closed the door behind her.

Only a moment passed before I heard someone sigh quietly on the other side of my bed. I glanced over quickly to see who was still in the room with Ash and me. It was Justuo. He had pulled up a chair on the other side of the bed and had his face in his hands.

"What are you still doing here?" I asked him. Instead of answering me, he simply shrugged his shoulders. I knew he wouldn't want to show his true emotions in front of Ash, but I needed to know if he was actually okay. I looked at Ash and squeezed his hand. _I need to see if he's okay, and you know he won't tell me if you're here._ I thought to Ash. We didn't have a mind connection, but we could enter each other's mind easily.

_I understand, dear. He just better keep his hands to himself because I'm not in the mood to get in a fight with an unstable dark angel when you're so fragile right now. I've already had to deal with that issue with Trace tonight. _He quickly thought back. A twinge of guilt twisted my stomach. I had kissed Trace. That had probably hurt Ash so much. We would have to talk about that later.

_Don't worry._ _It won't take long, love. _He nodded.

"I need to go round up the guards, speak to few a people, and inform the castle of what has happened," Ash said. "I'll be back shortly, though." He added at the end. He kissed me softly on the lips. I was filled with warmth for the first time all night. Then, he walked out of the room, shutting the door gently behind him.

I turned my head so that I faced Justuo. "What's wrong?" I asked him softly.

"I failed you," he mumbled into his hands. He knew I hated it when he mumbled.

"I can't hear you. Look at me," I said. Justuo raised his head and met my eyes. There were tears brimming in his eyes.

"Justuo, why are you crying?" I asked shocked. He rose from his chair and sat gently beside me on the bed.

"I hate seeing you so injured. You could have died! Died Kiyo! You have no idea how unbelievably terrifying that is for me. Especially, when it's my fault! I should have gone with you! I should have been there to protect you! I failed you," he exclaimed. The tears had started to spill down his face slowly while he was explaining himself.

"Hey, hey, hey! This is not your fault! Do you hear me? It's not. No one knew Raven was going to be waiting for me! Hell, even Negative didn't know! This. Is. Not. Your. Fault. I'm fine," I said, while I reached up to wipe the tears from his face. He leaned down closer to me.

"You are not fine, Kiyo. You almost died," he groaned. He laid his head, face down, on my stomach.

"But I didn't," I whispered.

Suddenly, he lifted his head and looked deeply into my eyes. I could see the ring of green around his pupil.

"I couldn't live without you, Kiyo. I couldn't endure this miserable world without your beautiful smile or your gorgeous eyes. I couldn't survive without your cute laugh and kind heart. I couldn't bear to know that your death was my fault. It would kill me to know that you died without knowing how I really feel about you. It would rip me apart for you to die thinking that I saw you as only my friend," he said, slowly. He let each word sink in. I thought Justuo had just me told me he was still in love with me. We sat there just staring at each other for a long moment. Then, he sat up and moved back to his chair just as Ash walked through the door.

"I'm back, sweet heart," Ash called. He sat down beside me and took my hand again. I smiled at him. Justuo rose.

"Hi," I said with a smile. I was about to comment on how proud I was of the fact that they were getting along so well, but Ash, with a calm collectiveness that was slightly, very ever so slightly, forced, spoke first.

"Kiyo, do you think it'll be okay if Justuo and I leave you alone for a few minutes?" he asked.

Justuo seemed to be slightly surprised by the suggestion, but he looked to me, awaiting my answer.

"I mean, sure, I'll be fine," I said, though I was reluctant to see them go. At the same time, I entered Kairi's mind. _Please come see me._

"You sure?" Justuo asked in a concerned tone. It was still filled with tension and sadness. Kairi's reply came.

_On my way. I'll be there in a few minutes._

_You're the best. Love you,_ I thought back as I repeated, "Yea, I'll be fine," aloud for Ash and Justuo. There was a long silence in which Justuo and Ash exchanged glances. "Why, is something wrong?" I asked to fill the silence.

"No, nothing's wrong," Ash said with a smile that comforted me.

"Alright then, sure. Go do what you have to do."

He looked at me with a look between uneasiness and worry. "Are you sure you'll be okay for a few moments alone?"

"Yes," I whispered. "Kairi said she wanted to stop by in a few minutes anyway. I know, I know, I need my rest, but she said she really was worried, and she needed to talk."

He paused for several long moments before nodding. "Alright. Fine. I'll be back in thirty minutes. It won't take any longer. I promise," he whispered before kissing my cheek.

"Take your time," I said, even though the last thing I wanted was to be alone right then. I think Ash picked up on that.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," he continued. He stood, meeting Justuo at the door before they left the room. It only took two minutes before Kairi was slipping into the room. She gave me a weak smile.

"Hey," she said.

"Hey," I replied with what I hoped was a reassuring smile. "How're you?"

"Forget me! How're you?" she asked with a scolding look.

"Great, never been better," I muttered.

"I'm so sorry, Kiyo," Kairi whispered. "I should've been with you. To protect…" She paused in the middle of her sentence. She winced a little.

"What's wrong?" I asked, automatically worrying about her instead of me. I grabbed her arm below her shoulder.

"My head kinda has been crazy," she said after a moment.

"Crazy?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Trace stuff," Kairi sighed, but she massaged her temples as she did.

"Is he okay?" I wondered. My heart had lurched when I heard his name for several reasons. I'd have to talk to Ash about Trace sometime. And not only that, but what the hell had happened today? An image of him and that smirk tainted my vision. I mentally glared. Was something up?

"I don't know," she admitted, shaking her head with a defeated shrug. "He blocked me out, and now my head feels like it's going to split in half."

"Try blocking him out," I said, making a decision on what I'd do after she left.

"I will," she said, offering an optimistic smile.

"Go get some rest, okay?" I said, wanting to be alone now.

"I want to speak to Ash first," Kairi replied as she stood and stretched a little.

"Well he's off with Justuo somewhere, I think," I said absently.

"Alright, I'll drop by later. You're the one that needs to get some rest, by the way," she said in mock accusation.

"Yea, I know," I said with a guilty smile. "I'll see you later, Kairi."

"Bye, Kiyo," she called as she left out my door.

Trace's Point of View

I shouldn't have come home with Kiyo's blood and scent on me. That was the first stupid mistake I made. The second one was to think Elliot would understand. The third was lying to him even though he knew the undeniable truth. Now he was making sure there was hell to pay for disobeying him.

I whimpered as Elliot's fangs ripped into my neck again. This was my punishment for saving Kiyo, an easily bared punishment compared to some of the others he chose. Elliot wasn't a Vampire. Elliot was one of the Ancients; an unspoken kind whose name was lost over the years. He and Ash had this in common.

"Kiyo…" I breathed softly. It was surprising how such a short time with Kiyo could change so much about me. Was I not an uncaring, relentless ass hole? I didn't care about anything.

Except for Kiyo.

At the sound of her name, Elliot growled. He picked up my already abused body and threw it across the room. I crumpled, not really caring how I landed. I heard Midnight's shriek, but I didn't look up from the ground.

"We do not speak that name in this castle unless it is in hate," Elliot snarled, while looking down at me with disgust. "Haven't you learned, my son? Has your pain and torment taught you nothing? She will never choose you. I tire of this insolence." His words stung, but I did not give him the reaction he wanted. I refused to speak wrongly of _boku no Kiyo_. No matter how much he beat me, I would not do it. Master Elliot would eventually grow tired of beating on me. Why I felt such a strong connection to her in this moment was beyond me. In retrospect, I suspect that Kairi's mind connection had a lot more to do with it than I was willing to admit.

As if hearing my thoughts, Master Elliot's cold eyes looked into mine. "She will always be Ash's whore, and not to mention Justuo's as well. Don't worry though; I'm sure she'll come around. After all, she's always had such sweet tasting blood. A special Phoenix . The Mother Phoenix. It's no surprise how much Raven thirsts for her to became a Dark Phoenix. Oh, how I would just love to sink my own teeth-," Elliot had almost finished his hateful words before I slammed him into the other wall by his throat. It hadn't taken long for me to overcome the pain in my body, and like a reflex of pure rage, I had slammed Master Elliot against the opposing wall.

"_Never_ speak about her that way again," I growled into his face. When I realized I had made a terrible mistake by not keeping my anger in check, it was too late. I knew he would practically kill me for this, but it was an automatic reaction! I couldn't stop myself. I could feel Elliot's anger rolling off of him in waves. Almost like a Kairi's strange ability to sense emotional stress. I realized she was the reason I could sense that powerful anger. She was here in my mind. I wouldn't allow her to bear witness to the forthcoming events.

_Trace?_ Kairi's voice spoke through my mind. I slammed my mental barrier to our mind connection.

I felt the unbearable pain before I even knew what was happening. Master had me pinned to the ground, and I squeezed my eyes closed as he forcibly searched my head for my most treasured memories of Kiyo. His intentions were easy to read. He would use them against me as a form of torture. After a moment of struggle that ended in vain, I screamed in agony and anger and refusal.

"Leave him alone," Midnight shouted as she ran at Elliot, trying to knock him off me. He just back handed her across the room. I didn't have time to worry if she was okay because the torture had started. There was no turning back now.

"Hmm…this seems like a good one," Master smirked sadistically. A cry slipped from my throat as the memory of when I danced with Kiyo on her birthday in a past life sprang to life in my mind.

"Master, please don't do this," I whispered. Perspiration had sprouted on my forehead.

The memory flickered back and forth on the edges of my memory, taunting my mind. He laughed softly. "You should learn your place, my son." My memory flickered once more before I felt him tearing it. All I could do was scream pathetically as he ripped apart and destroyed that memory of Kiyo. He couldn't get rid of it completely, but he could destroy it until only pieces remained. I bit my lip to keep those obnoxious, weak cries from escaping my mouth. I felt my eyes watering, and I had never felt so much self-loathing in my life.

Trace Zane Saviore, deduced to tears by Elliot Valhalla Grey, his blasphemous master.

A single tear slid down my cheek as he moved onto other memories. I don't know how long I bit back more tears and screams. Showing him weakness was the worst thing to do. Four memories later, he decided my torture could end. My body had slackened two memories ago. I just lay there, unmoving, feeling barely alive. Midnight had crawled over to my side. She was stroking my hair, and her tears were dripping onto my face. She never learned. She never stopped.

"You are not allowed to see Kiyo anymore unless it is in battle, and if I find out you have, I will personally capture her, and allow her to meet Shadow and Smokey," Master Elliot said with grim pleasure as he turned to leave. When he reached the door, he turned back to give me an uncaring glance. "Take care of him, Midnight," he said, and then he left.

"Oh Master," Midnight cried, as she helped me sit up. I shook her off, but she still wrapped her arms around me and helped me walk to my room. After I was lying on my bed, she sat down beside me and offered her neck to me. I drank greedily from her. I was so thirsty, and I wanted to heal quickly. When I was done, I pushed her away. Her face fell, but she didn't press it.

"You know, Master Elliot has a point. Kiyo is our enemy. She has to die, and she hurts you, Master. I know you say she doesn't mean it and she loves you…but I hate her Master! And you should too! She is our enemy! She is queen of the Phoenixes! She will die!" Midnight exclaimed as she touched my cheek. I summoned up the rest of my strength to slap her across the face.

"Get out of my sight," I spat at her in disgust.

"Yes, Master," she whispered.

She quickly scurried out of my room. I lay back on my bed, and I closed my eyes. I was in so much pain, mentally and physically. It was hellacious, and there was no telling when my mind would heal from its new wounds. My most precious memories of Kiyo were destroyed. I was holding back my groans of pain, and starting to drift out when I felt it. A prickling in my mind. I feared it was Elliot coming back for more at first, but this intrusion seemed much more…light. Guess number two would have been Kairi, but the voice I heard in my head blew that idea out of my mind.

_Trace?_ she whispered. I must've been fucking insane. There was no way that I was hearing Kiyo's voice. She laughed. _Laughed._ I thought I had fucking lost it.

_You haven't lost anything. I found a way to sort of talk to you through your mind. Kind of like a phone. I'm also working on repairing your memories, and trying to heal some of your wounds. I'm so sorry this happened you, Trace. One day, you won't be abused like this. One day, I will save you. Thank you, for saving me even though you shouldn't have_, Kiyo whispered sincerely, her voice soothing like soft music to my ears after a loud concert. I didn't know what to say. She had surprised me so much that I couldn't find words to object to her shear kindness.

"K-K-Kiyo, you don't need to heal me. Don't waste your energy. I'll be fine," I finally whispered aloud, trying not to sound weak. I did not want her to try and save me when it was always supposed to be the other way around. I did not want her to know that I had a weak side.

_I know I don't_ need_ to, but_ _I _want _to_. _Besides, I know how much your memories mean to you too, and I wouldn't want you forgetting me now, would I?_ she asked, as soothing Light flowed into my Darkness filled head. Then, she started singing _Hero_ softly. I started to drift off into a peaceful slumber.

"I love you, _boku no_ _Kiyo_," I mumbled almost asleep. A long pause filled my mind, and I thought she wasn't going to say anything.

_I love you too, Trace. Sleep in heavenly peace,_ she whispered, as she went back to healing. I smirked as I fell into one of the deepest sleeps I had had in awhile.

Kairi's Point of View

It had been a long day. Pain had filtered through Trace's mind connection, muted by his barricade. I tried to make sense of the one image I had seen through his eyes before I was shoved out. The feeling of being shoved against a flat surface with such a strong feeling of anger radiating towards me that it had been disorienting. I wasn't sure what to think of it, but after five minutes of a frenzy of pounding headaches, I had eventually blocked Trace out as well. I remembered mentioning it to Kiyo as I walked down the hall towards the throne room.

I wanted to speak with Ashu-Niisama, and when I told Kiyo, who was still in her room, about Trace, Ash hadn't been in there. My second guess would be his throne room considering that's where everything goes down. As I grew closer to the throne room and the cracked door, I heard raised voices from inside.

I strained my ears to hear who could be talking in such a hushed way. With careful ease, I let in the emotions around me. I felt irritation immediately. Also, something like realization and a little bit of smugness.

"The Feywood is too far away." Ash's voice floated through the crevice.

"But think of how safe they'll be." It was Justuo that answered. I listened in confusion and surprise. "Feywood is neutral and they'd be protected by its borders."

"Feywood isn't exactly an ally," Ash replied.

"But they are not by any means your enemy," Justuo reasoned. "Besides, Avalanche will be with them."

There was a long silence before the door creaked open. I jumped in surprise as Ashu-Niisama appeared in the door way. His eyebrow was raised slightly, as if wondering why I was standing outside the throne room door. A small squeak escaped my mouth before I struggled to clear my throat.

"Kairi," he said with a nod.

"Hey Ash," I said, playing it cool. "I wanted to come and talk to you."

"Hey Kohai," Justuo said, coming up from behind him. "We were talking about-." He paused to look at Ash for the slightest fragment of a second before Ash spoke in his stead.

"We've decided to send Mpopyya to Feywood while we redecorate your rooms to your liking," Ash replied with a kind smile. It didn't touch his eyes which portrayed anxiety behind their blue irises. I crossed my arms in a casual way, trying to block an invisible chill that had settled over my arms, though I knew it wasn't cold around me at all.

"Sounds great," I said absently. "That would make sense."

"Do you think you could tell the rest of Mpopyya?" Justuo asked. I could feel a smugness radiating from him. I disregarded it, and nodded.

"Sure, I'll tell the others."

"Bye Kairi," Ash said. I hugged my king and my teacher before walking the opposite way towards the East Wing while I replayed the scene I had just witnessed in my head. It was at least eleven o'clock. I'd stop by and tell the Mpopyya members about the strange encounter. And about Feywood. Then I would get some sleep. After such an exhausting day, I imagined I'd sleep pretty good.

Kiyo's Point of View

The sound of the door to the infirmary opening pulled me from healing Trace's mind and memory. Ash and Justuo were making their way towards my bed side. They were relaxed, no sign of fighting in their stance or tones of voice.

They stopped at my side, looking over me. "How do you feel, love?" Ash asked, gently touching my arm. I smiled back at him, slightly light headed from all the healing I'd been doing for Trace.

"I'm okay," I said.

"That's really good to hear," Justuo said. From his voice, I could tell he was still upset about the earlier events. "I think I'm going to head back to Feywood," he said. His face portrayed no evidence of tears from before, but I could tell he was still upset as easily as I could tell he had dark hair. I could tell he didn't want to leave the castle – to leave me.

"It's been a long night. You may stay here at the castle if you wish, Justuo," Ash said with sincerity. "Although, I sent the maids to bed, so there isn't a room ready for you."

"You can stay in my room," I said. Ash nodded his head in agreement. I could tell it was hard for him though.

"Thank you, Kiyo. I'm glad you're okay. Now, you have to stay that way. I don't think any of us could take a scare like that again," he said as he headed for the door.

"Goodnight, Justuo! Sweet dreams!" I called to him as loud as I could without hurting myself. I thought I heard him chuckle.

"Goodnight, Kiyo. Sweet dreams," he said from the doorway. Then he left, shutting the door behind him.

"I'm guessing he's upset," Ash said, raising his eyebrow at me. I tugged on his hand, and he gently climbed in the bed beside me. I rested my head on his chest. He was lying on top of the covers while I was under them. He planted a kiss on my forehead softly.

"Yea. He is. I tried my best to cheer him up, but I feel like I just make it worse," I grumbled.

"No dear. As much as Justuo cares for you, I'm sure just your smile makes him feel better. I know it makes me feel better," he said as he stroked my hair. I smiled and yawned.

"Can we finish this conversation in the morning?" I asked as my eyes slipped closed.

"Of course love. Sweet dreams. I love you so much," Ash whispered soothingly as his arms tightened around me.

"Sweet dreams. I love you too," I whispered.

Justuo's Point of View

I was intoxicated by Kiyo's room. From ceiling to floor it was all her, the real her. Not Kiyo the Queen, but Kiyo my dorky, lovable girl from the Human World. It smelt amazing. I was practically drunk off her scent, and I hadn't even lain in her bed yet. I quickly stripped down to my boxers and t-shirt and crawled into Kiyo's bed, which was heaven.

Her scent was overwhelmingly strong, and her bed was so warm. She always slept with at least five blankets. I found Tornado and Barkus lying next to her pillow. Tornado was Kiyo's absolute favorite stuffed animal, and she had it since she was five. She couldn't sleep without it. Barkus was my Tornado. I had given it to Kiyo back when we were dating. When we broke up, she had tried to give it back, but I wouldn't let her. I wondered idly how she had retrieved them from her home in the Human World. The fact that she still slept with it warmed me to the core.

I held both of them close to me as I laid my face against her pillow and breathed in the scent of her hair. I smelled something else, too, though. Plastic and paper. I lifted her pillow and found four pictures under it.

One was of her family, which broke my heart. They had endured so much in the Human World in the belief that they had lost their eldest daughter. The second was of her and Connor. Her best friend from the past; she was probably wrought with grief for Kiyo. I had considered telling Conner one time of the other worlds just so she would know Kiyo was okay just so she could have peace in knowing that. But it was too risky. It would endanger her life more than it would help. The third was of Mpopyya. An older picture, too, they seemed just children, but I quickly remembered, they were all still children. Only fifteen years old, a little young to battle the ancient King and his dark servants. I hoped Fate was on our side. The last one brought me close to tears again. It was of her and I. Kiyo was sitting on my lap with my arms wrapped around her. We were laughing. I gently placed the pictures back beneath the pillow where they belonged and laid my head back down on the pillow. I had fallen in love with Kiyo all over again, and to my dismay, it was even stronger than the first time.

* * *

**Hey guys, what did you think? I'm going to be honest with you. These past few chapters would never have gotten done without Kiyo's help. She did a good bit in the last chapter with the Raven attack, and she also helped with her point of view in this chapter. A big thanks to you, Kiyo! ^_^ Thank you for your help, fans! Keep up your comments, suggestions, and ideas, and most of all, enjoy! Review if able~!**


	51. Spark the Demon

_**~Chapter Fifty: Spark the Demon~**_

Spark's Point of View

Walking was never a great mode of transportation and it was an even less appealing one when the sky was lit by streaks of lightening and it was pouring down rain. As if to punctuate my thoughts about it a loud crack of thunder sounded, vibrating the cobblestone streets beneath my feet. I walked with my shoulders hunched, the collar of my waterproof trench coat turned up against the rain, and my hands in my pockets through the streets of Zephyr.

Most people had the sense to take shelter from this weather. I guessed that meant I didn't have that much sense. Up ahead on the corner light spilled from the windows of a tavern. The wind picked up just as I reached the door, practically blowing me inside. Ducking, I stepped my rather abnormally tall and lanky frame inside the dimly lit building.

I stood to the side of the door, allowing my senses to adjust. The tavern was full, with mostly everyone sitting around the benches near the roaring fire over which something cooked or at tables. I inhaled the familiar scents of smoke, sweat, blood, and alcohol mingling with the smells of whatever was cooking over the fire. Smoke hung in the air, obscuring some of the some of the room. I peeled my coat off and hung it on a peg by the door.

Scanning the room my eyes landed on an Elf sitting at the bar farthest from the door in the darkest corner. Her elbows rested on the bar, hands cradling a glass of alcohol. The open bottle sat at her elbow. She was staring into her cup with an expression some would have consider brooding. I could just see the hilts of her ebony blades over her shoulder.

_Well, well, well if it isn't Lapazuli Nightlock. _I smiled slightly as I made my way across the room weaving in-between tables.

"I'm not looking for company," she said flatly without looking up as I stopped near her. I noticed the temperature had dropped slightly since she spoke. _Yep, same old Azi_.

"Not even the company of an old friend?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. She turned slightly and looked up at me with an expression most would mistake as cold, but I knew her well enough to see the small smile twisting her lips.

"Damn Spark, it's been awhile," she said indicating with a hand to the stool next to her. As I sat down she signaled for the barkeep to come.

"Vodka," I told him when he stopped across the bar from us. He nodded before bringing me a bottle and glass. He left, then, apparently knowing Azi well enough by now what to expect. I swear a tavern was the closest thing to a home that Azi had and the barkeep the closest thing to a family.

Azorroth, her snake, slipped from where he was usually draped around her neck to slither across the table and up my arm.

"_Greetings Spark," _he said, his voice coming across as a low hiss.

"Hello Azorroth," I said pouring myself a glass of vodka. "So, Azi, where have you been? I haven't seen you since that incident in that bar up north."

"You know. Here, there, everywhere," she replied vaguely, as always. The one thing I could count on not to change was Azi. Ever since we had been thrown together in a bar fight several years back, we had been close friends. I thought I was the only one she had, and she was just about the only one I had, to be honest.

"Damn, barkeep should keep his vodka iced," I muttered, staring into my glass after taking a drink. Azi chuckled softly under her breath and reached over to run a finger around the rim of my glass. Little ice crystals began to collect around the glass. Immediately the glass became frosted and cool.

"Much appreciated, my friend," I said with a grin.

"You know me; always ready to please," she said, smiling back and clinking her glass against mine.

"What about you? Where have you been? What brings you to Zephyr?" she asked, pouring herself another glass.

"Most recently, I was up near Feywood. As for why I'm here in Zephyr, same reason as always. I wandered and ended up here. You?"

"Working the markets for coin to buy a horse. Footing it is not my preferred mode of transit," she mused.

"And by working the markets, you mean pick pocketing the locals, of course?" I replied, amused.

"Of course. I do believe you know me too well," she said with a wry grin, though she tries to hide it in her cup.

"On the contrary, my old friend, I don't believe anyone knows you too well. You are a very reserved and mysterious person...Wait, a horse? What happen to Old Bity?" I asked, referring to the small dun horse that would bite someone if they turned their back to it. She had had him for a while.

"He got too old so I turned him loose in some farmer's pasture."

"_Good riddance! That foul creature always tried to stomp me,_"_ Azorroth_ muttered, disgruntled.

"Such a loss of a horse though," Azi said with a wistful sigh.

"Seriously Azi? You stole that old horse off of a man who cheated you at cards," I reminded her.

"So? The point is I need a horse. Unlike you, I despise walking," she grumbled.

"_Hmph," _Azorroth muttered and if he could have rolled his eyes, I was sure he would have. I noticed a group of rowdy drunks at a nearby table, eyeing Azi. It really bothered me for some reason. I frowned at them as one stared at Azi greedily and laughed as his friends said something. I didn't feel sorry for Azi, but I wished she had been dealt a better hand at life. She shouldn't have had to live her life all by herself. As a consequence, I felt a desire to watch her back and be there for her, and then, the way those drunks were looking at her, made me angry.

We drank in companionable silence for a while, each of us sitting with our elbows on the bar cradling our glasses. The barkeep made regular trips down to where we sat to bring us a new bottle if needed. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw one of the drunks standing up. He started towards us.

"_Trouble," Azorroth_ hissed. Azi tilted her head to glance at the man before resuming her drinking.

"Hey Elf. I've seen you in here every night and it seems to me that you could use some personal company babe." Azi ignored him, but I noticed her hand tightening around her glass, the knuckles turning white. I myself personally wanted to rip his face off for talking to her like that, and I felt my Demon self, lurking just under the surface.

"What do you say? Why don't we head your room and get better acquainted?" he said with a sick glint in his eye as he stepped forward and grabbed her ass. Azi stiffens, but before she could do anything, I had reacted standing so fast my stool flew backward as my fist connected with his jaw, sending him staggering back several feet. His friends at the table surged to their feet.

"Call off your guard dog, whore!" The drunk snarled, spitting blood. _My punch busted his lip_, I noted with satisfaction, but not before anger flushed through me. I felt myself stiffen as his insults towards her sink in. Clenching my fists, I shifted halfway into my demon form without conscious thought. My claws elongated and my skin tone deepened into a molten darker color.

"Spark, don't. He's drunk and it's not worth it," Azi said, calmly laying a hand on my arm. Her fingers were blessedly cool. Whenever I began to shift to my demon form, my skin burned as if there was fire in my veins.

"That's right, whore. Curb your demon dog. Maybe you should buy a leash to keep him in check," the drunk growled and from the way all expression left Azi's face, I realize he had just made a grievous mistake. His buddies gathered around him as a weak show of force. The temperature of the room plummeted into the negatives and everyone's breath suddenly clouds the air.

"Insult me all you like, you insolent filthy bastard, but you _never_ insult or threaten my friend," she said, her voice as cold and cutting as ice. As she stopped talking, she lifted her hand from my arm. That was the only thing holding me back. I stepped forward, fully shifting to my demon form in one long stride. I grabbed the drunk. The last part of me to shift was my eyes and as they were swallowed up by the black, I tossed him across the room.

Azi's Point of View

I sat on my bar stool, one elbow resting on the bar behind me. I watched as Spark shifted to his demon form. A lot of people began to run outside, screaming like pansies. Spark went up against the dozen or so of the drunks' buddies.

Spark, though tall as a man, was slightly taller as a Demon, but was considerably more muscular. Horns sprouted from his head and curled back; a small flickering ball of fire burned suspended between them. His skin transitioned completely into a thicker almost leather like hide that was a darkish molten color and his normally golden brown eyes were swallowed up by black save for a red glow around the edges like a fire burned behind them.

"Hey! Hey! My tavern!" the barkeep shouted, running down towards me and waving his arms. "Hey I'll call the guards." When I didn't respond, he said, "…Hey!"

I shot him an icy look and he stopped shouting and waving his arms. He seemed resigned as he slumped back against the bar counter behind him. I went back to watching Spark toss his attackers around the room.

"_Aren't you going to help him?" _Azorroth asked, returning to me. Holding out my hand, he slithered up my arm to coil around my neck, his head at my ear.

"Nope, he's doing fine on his own. Besides something has him worked up, and he needs to get it out of his system," I said taking a drink of my rum. I leaned to the side as a Spark tossed a drunk, who slammed into the bar beside me and slumped to the floor. I glanced down at him with a raised eyebrow as I took another drink.

"_That looks painful," _Azorroth comments peering down at him.

One of the men picked up a chair and bashed it over Spark's back, and he stumbled forward into me, making me slosh my rum out as I caught him.

"Damn Spark, watch the rum!" I exclaimed as I turned him around and gave him a punch back into the fight. Someone punched Spark in the face, and I winced as Spark picked him up one handed and tossed him down on a table; the table broke to pieces. Ouch.

"_That looked painful," _Azorroth commented again.

"Yeah it did."

"_Azi I do believe he has finally lost his temper. You should do something before he accidently kills someone." _

"I doubt it would be accidently."

"_Azi!" _

"I know! I know! I'm going," I said, sighing loudly. Hopping off my stool I left my glass on the bar and picked up my rum bottle. Spark had just tossed another man into another table and was turning towards the barkeep, hand reaching for his massive great sword strapped to his back as he did.

When he was turned completely, he was face to face with me. I swung the rum bottle, hitting him on the head with a loud thud. I stared at the rum bottle, mildly horrified as Spark drops like a stone.

"Holy shit! What is this made of?!" I muttered wondering how the bottle hadn't broken.

"Yeah that's right! Take that abomination out!" The drunk who started this slurred. Looking at him, I saw that his left eye was swollen shut, he was bleeding, and he was missing a few teeth from the looks of it.

I shouldn't have bothered; it was not worth it …the hell it wasn't. I swung the bottle, smacking the drunk across the temple with it. This time, it broke, spilling rum and slicing my hand in the process. Shit.

As the drunk crumpled to the floor, I surveyed the room, cradling my injured hand absently. It was completely wrecked. Tables were broken, glass was spilled all over the floor, chairs and other tables were overturned, and there were about a dozen men scattered, injured and unconscious, around the room. Spark sure left an impression on the worlds.

"Hey give me a hand with him, will you?" I said to the barkeep, referring to Spark who had shifted back to his Human form though he was still unconscious.

"Are you kidding me, Elf? He's just wrecked my bar!" The barkeep said a bit bewildered that I'd ask a question like that after all the havoc.

"Look I'll give you ten gold pieces and help clean just get your ass around here and help me get him off the floor. Now," I said. I reluctantly offered up all the coins I had gathered. It meant I would be here longer, but Spark and I went way back and he would have done it for me.

"Fine," the barkeep said, coming around the bar mumbling under his breath. I grabbed Spark's shoulders and the barkeep grabbed his feet. Together, we heaved him onto the bar.

"Go get me a bowl of water and a rag, please," I ask, handing the coins over to the barkeep, who complied. I pulled off my cloak, careful to keep the blood from my injured hand off of it before bundling it up under his head. I felt guilty at the bruised bump just rising at his hair line.

"Here you go," the barkeep said, placing a bowl of water, a rag, and a bandage on the bar. I glance down at it. "For your hand," he said when I raised an eyebrow.

"Thanks," I said quickly bandaging my hand. I dampened the rag, and gently clean Spark's head.

"You don't have to clean, but I'll let you drink on the house if you do," the barkeep said as he cleaned blood and ale off the bar.

"Free drink? Point me to the broom."

"Corner," he said nodding towards it. I retrieved the broom and swept up all the broken glass. Then I gathered up all the still usable dishes and righted the overturned chairs and tables. I went around and checked to be sure everyone still had a pulse.

"Hey Elf, you can stop now."

"Okay barkeep," I said going to sit on my barstool near Spark. The barkeep came down the bar with an old looking bottle and two fresh glasses. He poured us a drink.

"This is the good stuff," he said sliding me the glass. Picking it up, I inhaled appreciatively before taking a drink.

"Bourbon – 18 years old. Give or take a year?" I inquired and the barkeep inclined his head with a smile.

"You know, damage aside, I believe this is the most interesting night I've had in this place," he said observing the room as he took a drink himself. Looking around myself, I nodded in agreement. "Well, since I'm not going to sleep any time soon, what do you say to a hand of cards?"

"Witches Grace?" I asked and the barkeep grins.

"You are my kinda girl, Elf," he said, bringing out a deck of cards from under the bar. "Shall you deal or I?"

"I'll deal," I answered setting down my glass and gathering up the cards. Expertly, if not as easily due to my bandaged hand, I shuffled the cards at a rapid speed before cutting and dealing them. Setting down the deck and gathering up my hand, I smiled to myself as I see I have a good one. Two games later, I had already won back half of my money.

"You know, Elf, if you want you can run a game of Witches Grace here, as long as you pay due, you can. Say a gold piece a day?" he suggested as we play.

"Sounds good," I said with a smile.

Sunlight was shining through the windows of the tavern, two empty bottles and third half empty sat on the bar beside us. We were still playing Witches Grace. Spark and everyone were still out cold. I picked up my glass and raised it to my lips to take a drink. I stopped as the door flew open with a bang. I lowered my glass with an internal sigh and lay my cards out on the bar before turning to face the door.

"Dammit, Elf, you win again!" the barkeep swore good-naturedly. A detachment of guards was standing in the door to the Tavern, surveying the scene before them. They were led by none other than the fire Vamp, Skye, and, surprise, those girls, Kairi and Yoru, were with them. Their eyes brightened at the sight of me, but they didn't say anything just yet.

"For once, this is not my fault," I said raising my glass towards them and gesturing at the trashed bar around me. Skye frowned, irritated at me most likely, and I couldn't help a grin. Score one for Elf. Zero for Vamp. Several people started to move, punctuated by groans.

"Is that the one?" Skye asked, sounding all business...and he was pointing at _me_! Ass.

"No," a sketchy-looking, balding man said.

"Told you," I said smugly.

"It was that Demon dog on the bar behind her!" the balding man said, pointing. I noticed vaguely that the girls stiffened at that, but I'm on my feet, alcohol momentarily forgotten.

"You have exactly five seconds to take that back."

"Alright! Alright! Sorry!" The balding man said, hastily as he wisely backs off.

Skye strode across the room, and before I knew it, he had grabbed Spark by the collar and dragged him off the bar to the floor. I reacted violently. _Oh hell no!_

I grabbed Skye's shoulder, spinning him around and rearing back to punch him in the face as hard as I could. He stumbled backwards into a table, hand going to his lip which bleeds slightly. His face was momentarily surprised before it contorted into anger. He licks the bit of blood on his lip, and it heals quickly. I think surprise was the only reason I was able to hit him that hard.

"Skye!" Kairi hissed.

He straightened, eyes reddening, and one of my ebony blades was in my hand automatically as I placed myself between him and Spark, who was groaning as he came around. I raised my sword, my expression rivaling Skye's easily. You did not mess with Spark.

_"Lapazuli!"_ Azorroth hissed snaking down my arm to wrap around my hand, restricting my movement. _"He's one of the king's men! Don't!"_ I ignored him.

"Don't you dare touch him, you asshole."

"He has broken the law, _Elf_." Skye sneered the word Elf, and I stepped forward, my temper flaring.

"Can you honestly look me in the eye, _Vamp,_ and tell me you haven't broken the law? That you haven't gotten your temperamental ass in a fight, got injured and laid up?" I asked angrily. "No, I didn't think so. How would you feel if someone walked into wherever you were laid up and drug your worthless carcass out onto the floor, saying sorry you broke the fucking law? You wouldn't like it a damn bit!"

"But-," he began, but I cut him off.

"Don't dare fucking 'but' me, Vampire, not right now!"

Skylar glared at me, and I could just nearly see the shape of his fangs behind his lip. I clenched my teeth, remembering the night of my family's passing all too well.

_"Lapazuli Nightlock!"_ Azorroth said tightening around my sword hard, a voice of reasoning in my cloud of anger. I took a deep breath and reluctantly lowered my blade as I stepped backwards to kneel by Spark. He groaned as he sat up, putting a hand to his head.

"Ugh – what hit me?" he asked blinking.

"Rum," I answered guiltily.

"You are under arrest for assault and destruction of property," Skye said stepping forward to stand over us. I tensed, shooting to my feet.

_"Azi!"_ Azorroth hissed again, and I held my tongue. Reluctantly, I watched as Skye hauled Spark to his feet and pushed him towards the door.

"Hey _Vampire_!" I growled. Skye stopped and looked back, meeting my pissed off gaze with his own triumphant one. "You keep arresting my friends and me and you and I are gonna have problems. The kind that ends in the digging of a six foot deep hole," I warned calmly despite how pissed off I was.

He glared. "I'd love to see it happen, Elf," He said before sweeping out with his guards, taking Spark with him. The girls remained. I sheathed my blade angrily.

"Are you going to charge Spark with destruction of property?" I asked the barkeep.

"No, you and I are settled, Elf," he assured me.

"Who was the man who was here with them? The one who accused Spark?"

"Edmund," the Kairi girl spoke up after being nudged by Yoru.

"Yeah, that's him. He hangs out around the wine stands during the day," the barkeep said. I nodded, grabbing my drink and tipping my head back to down it, slamming the empty glass back down onto the bar when the last swig was gone. Turning to face the girls, I folded my arms.

"Well are you coming are not?" I asked them.

"What do you mean?" Kairi asked innocently.

"Drop the act. I assume you plan on following me anyway. Might as well save the trouble and come along instead of sneaking around behind me. When I'm followed, my skin prickles and it's annoying."

"We – you don't mind?" Kairi asked as I gave her a look.

"As long as you aren't sticklers to the rules or extremely opposed to breaking laws, I don't care," I said with a shrug as I pulled on my cloak.

"I think we can safely say we aren't," Yoru said as she exchanged a glance with Kairi, which I found a bit contradictory. They were so close to the king, yet they were rule breakers? I could get used to that, if they showed that it was true.

"Then, by all means, come along," I said, brushing past them and heading out into the street. I turned left and headed towards the market, expertly weaving through the crowded street. I lifted two people's pockets as I went. I caught Kairi and Yoru staring at me as I pocketed a coin purse.

"Give me a break. I have to make a living somehow, and I at least have morals about it. I never steal from a woman with kids, those lesser off than myself or those sick and homeless," I said in defense.

Yoru put her hands up in surrender, and Kairi chuckled. "Fair enough," Kairi said with a nod. "But you know, you could always take some of our money."

"Nope," I interjected. "I don't take handouts from the uppers."

"Just offering," she replied.

I spotted Edmund lingering around the wine stands, harassing the merchants. After surveying my surroundings and discerning that there were no guards present, I headed straight for him.

"Uh – maybe we should try a subtle approach?" Kairi asked, hesitating. Her posture told me that she was a bit too strategic for my liking.

"Why? There are no guards around, and he is no threat. Besides if you stay in my company long, you will find that in most cases the subtle approach doesn't exist for me," I said, bluntly thinking about the many times Spark had said just about the same thing.

"Oh well, uh, then I guess lead on," she said uncomfortably as she followed. Yoru touched her shoulder, amused at her reaction.

I grabbed Edmund's collar and dragged him into an empty dead end alley. I threw him against the wall, catching him as he started to slide down. I slammed his back against it and pinned him there. I allowed a cruel smile to show on my face.

"Hello, my friend," I said with feigned politeness.

"Roughing me up isn't gonna work, bitch. I'm gonna see that Demon dog rot in prison and all the other filthy demons with him!" Edmund said defiantly. A strange feeling of bursting outrage seems to permeate the air. Before I could say or do anything, Yoru had stepped forward. She punched him right in the nose; I heard the sickening crunch, signaling the broken bone. Blood gushed down his face as Yoru stepped back, shaking her hand with a grimace of disgust. I looked over at her with raised eyebrows before nodding once and smiling. I also grimaced as his blood ran onto my hand. Yoru had just earned new appreciation in my eyes.

"One – the biggest mistake you can make, aside from messing with my alcohol, is insulting or messing with Spark. Two – roughed up is not how I intend to leave you, dear sir. Alive, you are a threat to Spark and an annoyance to me whereas dead you are neither," I said, drawing my dagger and pressing it against his neck.

The blade pricked his throat, drawing blood as he swallowed audibly. His Adam's apple bobbed up and down. The man's eyes widened, so much so that vaguely, I felt they might have popped out of his head.

"You…you can't!" he stuttered, fearfully. All traces of his former bad ass attitude were gone now that his life was on the line.

"I can, and I will," I said, pressing the blade so that it cuts his throat more; a thin rivulet of blood rolled down his neck.

"But there are witnesses! You will go to jail!" he protested, sweating like a pig. I glanced over my shoulder at Kairi and Yoru, raising an eyebrow at them inquiringly.

"What witnesses? I don't see any," Yoru said, making a show of looking around. I found then that I could actually like these girls – well tolerate them, at least. I turned back to the man.

"Wait! Please, I swear I won't testify against him or press charges! I swear I can make it worth your while! I'll…I'll owe you a favor! Just don't kill me!" he pleaded rapidly. It was funny how when under duress even the meanest people could become blubbering crybabies begging for their lives, like bums and low lives. It was pathetic.

I stopped, albeit reluctantly and drew my blade away. I wiped it off on his shirt front slowly before sheathing it.

"Go back on this and you will regret the day you were born," I said, trailing a hand down to his side and drawing his dagger.

"I understand, trust me!" he said, voice thick with relief.

"No, you don't, but you will now," I said, driving his own dagger into his groin. I stepped back quickly as he fell to the ground, crying in pain. I stared at my hands in disgust. They were covered in his blood. Gross. I turned and started walking.

"Oh, by the way, I won't forget about that favor. I will collect one day," I called over my shoulder. Exiting the alley, I headed towards the water fountain that was more akin to a man-made pond made out of stone with a small stream of water pouring out a dragon's mouth near the wall surrounding the market. Sitting on the stone lip, I scooped water out and wash my hands, vigorously erasing all traces of that foul man's blood from my hands.

I felt the girls staring at me. "What?" I finally asked.

"You get things done," Kairi said, nodding in approval.

"I do my best. I learned a long time ago that if you want to survive long or live a decent life, you need to have backbone and the skill to back up anything you say. If you make a threat you can never fulfill, then it defeats the purpose," I said, momentarily losing myself in painful memories. My voice sounded slightly pain filled. I came to myself quickly, though, and shook it off. I don't think either noticed, but then again, you never could tell with these two.

Drying my hands off, I stood, headed over to a rum stand, and purchased a bottle.

"Rum?" I asked them.

"No!" Kairi said, immediately.

"No thanks Azi," Yoru politely declined.

"Ya'll aren't any fun. Do you hang out with anyone who drinks? Cause if you don't, then we might have problems," I said pouting slightly.

"I'm sure some of Ash's inner circle members drink," Kairi said thoughtfully.

"I _know_ members of Avalanche drink," Yoru replied.

"Avalanche? Should I even ask?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"They're a group of people that help us train. I guess you could say they're our friends," Yoru explained.

"Gotcha, gotcha," I said, waving her off. I took another swig of my rum.

"Hey Azi, where's Azorroth?" Yoru asked as we continued forward. "I haven't seen him since we were at the Tavern."

"_I am here," _Azorroth said, raising his head from my shoulder.

"Oh hey, Azorroth," Yoru said, with a smile. "I didn't notice him there."

"_Hello Yoru. Kairi."_

"How are you today?" Yoru asked.

"_Aside from having to keep a certain Elf from assaulting…well assaulting with a deadly weapon anyways…one of the kings men, I am doing fine, thank you for asking." _

"You know, no one asked you to interfere, Azorroth. You can stop with the implications," I muttered under my breath. "So now that there is no one charging Spark with a crime, what do you say we break into the palace and free him?"

"Uh, Azi we kinda have the key to the front door. I mean we do live there," Kairi said, a smile painted on her face, and I frowned at the thought of no adrenaline-pumping action. "Are you disappointed?" Kairi asked, seemingly guessing my emotions.

"Well yeah, I wanted to break into the palace...Oh well, I'll do it one day."

"That's the first time I've ever seen anyone disappointed about not having to break into somewhere," Yoru laughed.

"Hey, I love me some B & E'ing! You ever need a lock picker and you have coin of rum, I'm the one for the job. No questions asked...well not many, at least," I said as we headed towards the palace. I stopped as I suddenly realized something. Oh Fate no!

"ARE THEY GONNA PUT SPARK IN ONE OF THOSE FLAT BOX PRISONS!?" I asked, grabbing Kairi by the shoulders and shaking her back and forth rapidly. She stared at me wide eyed for a few seconds, seeming stunned by my outburst.

"Huh? You mean a TV...?" she questioned, unsure.

"YES, A TV! ARE THEY GONNA PUT SPARK IN A TV?!" Panic consumed me at the thought of Spark being stuck in one of them.

"No – Azi, the TV's aren't prison cells. They are just a form of entertainment…," Kairi started, but I didn't listen. She had tried to explain this before, but I didn't believe her. Lights just didn't move like people like they did in a TV.

"Good, then I can get him out. Let's hurry, just in case hot head decides to put him in a TV anyway," I said picking up the pace.

"Hothead?" Kairi asked, following after me.

"That Vampire, Skye." I growled out his name, clenching my fist momentarily before focusing on the palace. I stopped and fell back behind the girls as we entered the palace. I trailed behind them, looking around suspiciously. It was too bright in here, this place with the TV prisons in rooms on the walls. Passing an open door, I saw one. _Sorry I can't free you_, I thought with sympathy at two of them that seemed to be in deep conversation. Two people walked around the corner of the hall, and I resisted the urge to duck behind a plant.

After they pass, I released a breath. "Hey Azi, you don't have to freak out so much while we're here," Kairi commented. "I mean, Ash said you were welcome anytime."

"I don't know about all that now," I murmured, glancing around still.

"If you say so," she chuckled, and Yoru joined her.

The girls led me down the same stairs that Skye took me down when he arrested me awhile back. At the bottom, the all too familiar cells lined the room. I shuddered in response. As I scanned the room, I spotted Spark immediately.

"Spark!" I said, going to the bars. His hair was tousled, and he looked like hell after the bar fight yesterday, but he stood up and met me at the bars.

"I guess I shouldn't be surprised to see you here, Azi, and I admit, it is good to see you," he said, and I could hear the relief in his voice. I remembered when Kairi and Yoru had gotten me out of here. I had been extremely relived to be out.

"You should have known I'd show up one way or another," I replied with a smile.

"I was expecting the other way, where they drag you in here and toss you in the cell beside me," he admitted with a chuckle. "Who are your friends?"

"Kairi and Yoru. They lent me a hand, and I guess I'd call them friends, acquaintances at the least. Kairi – Spark. Spark – Kairi. Yoru – Spark. Spark – Yoru," I said, giving quick introductions and pointing to each as I did.

"Nice to meet you, Spark," Kairi and Yoru said in unison, which didn't surprise me as much as it should have.

"Likewise ladies," Spark said with a nod.

"We should go ask Skye for the key," Kairi offered.

"What? NO! I'm not asking him for help. Did you miss the part where I punched him? I don't know what it means to you, but in my book, that says quite clearly _I don't like him_. At all."

"Well, how else are we going to get him out?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I got this. Watch and learn, girls," I said, pulling out two lock picks from my back pocket. I crouched by the door and inserted them in the lock. After several minutes of jiggling and curses muttered under my breath, the lock clicked and the door swung open. "_Viola_!"

"Took you long enough," Spark said teasingly as he stepped out and gave me a hug.

"I swear, these locks are charmed to be more difficult to pick," I said, wiping my hands on my pants.

"They are," Kairi said, guiltily smiling.

"Well you could've told me that sooner. Then I would've just broken the damn thing." I glanced down at my lock picks, about to stash them back in my bag. "Shit, my picks broken," I said, morosely looking at them closer before pocketing it. "Maybe that's fixable."

"You're definitely something, Azi," Kairi said, smiling despite the fact that we had just broken into the dungeon of her home and released Lightning. Maybe these two weren't so bad. I could get used to them.

Kairi and Yoru walked us back to the streets of Zephyr, where I gladly breathed fresh air. With a promise to see Spark and me soon, the girls parted ways with us, promising they'd try to get a reign on Skye. Spark and I returned to the Tavern, then.


	52. Azi Meets Avalanche

_**Chapter Fifty-One: Azi Meets Avalanche**_

Azi's Point of View

It had only been a few hours since the two girls had helped me out yet again. I watched Spark near me as he downed another of his shots. Don't get me wrong, I was happy that Kairi and Yoru helped me, but, I was starting to feel in their debt. They had both gotten me out of jail, and now they had helped to keep my closest friend from staying in there, too. I mean sure, they were annoying as hell half the time, and Kairi's taste in color wasn't exactly wonderful, but the two had really been trying. Maybe I'd pay a visit and thank them tomorrow. Maybe.

Spark noticed my quiet thoughtfulness and said, "Azi, you're thinking a lot."

"Just considering something that's a little bit out of character," I chuckled. He lifted an eyebrow, a small smirk forming his lips.

"Are you considering a trip back to the castle, Azi?" he asked, feigning surprise.

"Knock it off, Spark," I teased.

"_That would have been my guess as well_," Azorroth said, his head resting on my wrist.

"Well, you may have guessed correctly, but that doesn't mean I've decided to," I replied, taking another swig of rum. "I don't like that place. It's creepy with its TV prisons and huge hallways." I shuddered involuntarily.

"It would probably be good of you to go," Spark said, raising his glass towards me. "They did rescue you, so I heard."

"Azorroth, you told him?" I snapped at him.

"_It may have slipped out by accident_," he said evasively.

"No worries, Azi," Spark said knowingly. "I had a feeling you'd been dragged in several times when I saw you here in Zephyr."

"Yeah, well, it's easy to control your temper when there's more at risk," I muttered but I hid my smile with a sip more of rum.

"So you are going tomorrow?" Spark asked.

"By the Fates, I guess I have no choice," I sighed in exasperation.

"No pressure," Spark said, lifting his free hand in defense. I watched him for a moment, taking in his watchful gaze as it hovered over me, up and down.

"It's good to have you close again, Spark," I finally said with a resigned smile.

"I'm glad I found you again," he said face becoming a bit more serious.

So after a long night of drinking and card playing and a unsuccessful attempt of sleep that was plagued with the usual nightmares, I decided to head up to the Castle and see if I could find Kairi and Yoru, just for the hell of it.

"See ya later Spark," I called as I exited the tavern and made my way through the streets of Zephyr. I stopped to buy myself a warm cinnamon roll and a bottle of rum, courtesy of the two people whose coin purses I had lifted. I ate on my roll as I walked, grudgingly sharing a bite with Azorroth.

"Seriously, though, what kind of poisonous snake eats cinnamon rolls?" I asked him, irritated as he asked for more.

"_I do, obviously. So you are just gonna stroll into the castle and wander around until you find the girls? That's the plan?_"

"Yeah, pretty much. Now shut up. I'm sneaking into this place," I said, ducking behind some bushes and sneaking around some guards. They seemed oblivious on this Monday morning, and I entered the Castle grounds with ease. I stopped once inside the gardens and looked around, trying to gather my bearings a little more.

"_These are some lovely gardens_," Azorroth commented. That was not the key factor that I was seeing, though.

"Yeah and big; big is bad," I muttered as I head farther into them. Huge bushes and plants of all kinds lined the walkways, and fountains popped up every so often, some ranging in sizes from small to big to even bigger. After about half an hour of wandering through the gardens, both on and off paths, I knew I was lost. Completely lost. I probably should have just gone into the castle and asked where they were, as much as the idea made me shudder.

_Well shit. What should I do now?_ I thought to myself.

"_Just yell for help. This is a castle. There are guards. They will hear and come_," Azorroth offered.

"Yeah and then have to explain I'm lost in the gardens. I don't think so. Unless you want to be the bad guy, and I'll say you attacked me?"

"_Hmph. Fine_," Azorroth said indignantly.

A few more long minutes, and I had a feeling I was closer to the north side of the gardens. Then, I heard the sounds of fighting. Well, I had to start somewhere. I followed the sounds through the gardens, unsure of what exactly to expect when I found the source of the noise.

"_Of course you head _towards_ the sounds of fighting when most normal and sane people would go away from it_," Azorroth muttered under his breath.

"Oh, shut up, Azorroth. It can't be but so bad. This is the god damn king's castle," I said, pushing my way through some bushes. I found myself in a rather spacious section of the garden, and there in the center I saw Kairi and some stranger sparring. The stranger was a short male with dark ruffled hair he had pulled back into a short ponytail. He was tapping Kairi with easy punches, almost tauntingly.

Yoru was off to the side with Muhpopyuh, or whatever the hell they called themselves. There were also a bunch of other people there including a tall, well-muscled man with light brown hair. The smell that came to me on a breath of wind told me and he was a vampire. _Lovely_, I thought to myself.

I lounged against a statue thing shaped like some kind of fairy-looking thing and watched them as I finished my almost forgotten roll. As I watched, Kairi and the stranger began to fight with fire, sending detonations and other flaming tricks to one another. _Huh? Did not know the girl could do that_. _I wonder-Yikes!_ My mental train was lost when a huge fireball whizzed past Kairi's opponent. I ducked as the fireball slammed into the stone right where my head had been only moments before.

"What the bloody hell?! There are flammable people here, you know!" I exclaimed as I straightened and smoothed off my clothes. Looking up, I see everyone had stopped and were staring at me with various ranges of expressions. Mpopyya's expressions were surprised, but for the most part welcoming, especially Yoru, who grinned, and, Kairi; well she stood near the stranger, panting, and I assumed she would smile after she caught her breath. The others were less welcoming. They were wary and guarded, and most stood as if they were ready to attack at the barest sign of motion from me.

_Good to know she has friends that are intelligent. I'd be wary to if somebody just popped up, too. Maybe she should learn from her friends_, I thought. The stranger beside her was frowning, and I got the sense he was not happy about the interruption.

The vampire raised an eyebrow and cleared his throat. I snapped my head towards him, falling back a step automatically so that I was in a position to easily move, and my hand strayed towards the hilt of the dagger at the small of my back.

"Azi! It's good to see you!" Kairi said smiling broadly now that she had her breath back. "What are you doing here?" As soon as Kairi greeted me, most of the others' expressions became neutral or curious as they relaxed upon seeing I knew Kairi.

"Huh? That was a damn good greeting until the last part girl. Guess you don't like my company. Shows me that next time I decide to come see if you are alive not to bother," I said with a huff though I still kept one eye trained on the Vampire.

"Rath, everyone, this is Azi, Azi this is Rath," she said as Yoru gave me a meaningful look which I interpreted as the Vampire was a friend of theirs and not a threat to me. So, in other words, don't attack the Vampire. I forced my hand away from the hilt of my dagger, and nodded, giving a small brief smile that was gone swiftly.

Rath smiled, and said, "Well, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He was polite, and like Skye, he didn't show off his red eyes and fangs. I kept my distance, though, and nodded.

"And you as well," I replied. I guessed that Rath noticed my stiffness, and spoke again.

"Well, it's nearly lunch break. You guys finish up here and come in for lunch," Rath said. "I've been meaning to talk to Lord Ash about some matters, so I'm going to take my leave."

"Bye Rath!" Yomi called waving. Several other goodbyes and other comments were made as Rath made his way back through the gardens and towards the castle.

"Let me introduce you to Avalanche," Kairi said, ushering me to follow her. I did, slightly more relaxed now that the Vampire was gone.

"Avalanche?" I questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"That's the name of their group," Kiyo explained, a small smile on her face. She pointed at the five guys and three girls behind her, the other people that I didn't know.

"So there's Mpopyya and Avalanche," I muttered. "Are you rivals or something?"

"No, more like their teachers," the stranger that Kairi had been fighting said. Upon closer examination, I noticed the pattern of his ears, the slightest point of his ears, and the scent of the trees he carried with him. I felt a pang in my stomach. I realized he was Feavii; he was from Feywood, my home. My stomach twisted, but I kept my face neutral.

"And their Guardians," one of the guys near him said. He had strangely colored hair, white, purple, and orange of all colors. It made Kairi, Yami, and Mizu's hair seem normal in comparison. But this boy was also Feavii, his green eyes of fern design and his familiar stranger of a scent giving away his homeland as Feywood as well.

"I wouldn't go that far," Mizu said sharply. I could see a rivalry in between them, just by the way they stood and how they acted towards one another.

"This is Justuo," Kairi said, pointing towards her opponent from before. "He's my teacher."

"And he's got one hell of an ego," Yami added, smiling to Mizu as she high fived her.

Justuo held his hand out for a shake. "It's nice to meet you, Miss…?" He paused, unsure. I grasped his forearm instead of his hand.

"Just call me Azi," I replied.

"Alright then, Azi," he said, smiling.

"His twin, over here," Yomi began, pointing at the strange haired one, "is Aki."

"They aren't really twins," Kairi explained, which made sense. They looked nothing at all alike. "They're just really close."

"That's Hana," Yoru said, and one of the girls with a similar complexion to Yoru stepped forward. She smiled, but I could see that she could be fierce when she wanted just by the look in her eyes. "She helps keep Avalanche in line." She had dark hair and dark eyes, and I could tell she was Human by her magical resonance and her scent.

"It's nice to meet you, Azi," Hana said.

"Likewise," I said, returning her smile, but it was slightly forced. I was finding it hard to be around so many people whose attention was solely on me.

"My name is Serein," the other girl said. My first glance at her told me she was of my own kind; an Elf. She had long blond hair braided down her back to reveal her pointed ears, which was foreign to me. Most Elves and Feavii hid their ears in public places outside of Feywood. I did. Her eyes were dark with purple flecks running throughout her irises.

"Hello," I said with a genuine smile, and we grasped forearms.

"This is Fayt," she said, and just the look in her eyes told me she thought very highly of him. She motioned for the blue-haired boy. His eyes and hair matched the same shade of blue, and even his nails were tinted that color. He was very short, shorter than Kairi by several inches. For a moment, I thought the boy a Faerie, but upon closer inspection, his scent and his eyes proved he was a Feavii as well.

"Hello Azi," he said, a polite smile on his face.

"It's nice to meet you," I replied, grasping his forearm as I had the others from Feywood.

"I'm Kimi," a young Felion girl with white and purple ears said, stepping forward. She was smiling, short, and a tail swished behind her.

"A pleasure," I said, forcing another smile.

"Prompto is the blond guy with an obsession with guns," Yami teased.

"You like rum, I see?" the boy with a blond ponytail asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Very much so," I replied evenly, a smile slowly creeping onto my lips.

"How well can you hold your alcohol?" Prompto asked.

"It takes a long, hard week of nothing but hard liquor to upset my stomach, friend," I said, taking a swig of my nearly gone rum.

"We'll have to test that sometime," Prompto chuckled. "I could really get to like this girl." Funny that I was thinking the same thing about him.

"Azi does like her alcohol," Yoru laughed.

"Yeah, don't mess with my alcohol," I agreed.

"Lastly, that's Akira," Kairi said, pointing to a tall, rugged-looking fellow. Kimi was the farthest from him, and he seemed to be one of those guys that would sit in the back of the bar and keep to himself while he watched the rest of the bar fight to the death.

Akira nodded and said, "Hello, Elf."

"Uh, hello," I said, finding it strange that he had called me Elf. I mean, I'm sure it was obvious to them that I was one, but to have it blatantly stated was something foreign to me. Then again, what _wasn't_ foreign to me?

"And this is Azorroth," Yoru said, coming to my shoulder to gesture towards his head.

"_Yes, hello_," Azorroth said, lifting his head up. Justuo and the other Feavii automatically took a step back. Yes, they weren't very fond of snakes with toxins.

"Isn't he poisonous, too?" Kairi asked.

"Yes, very," I replied. "So you should go ahead and get in my bag. No need to make anyone uncomfortable, Azorroth."

"_Yes, yes, I understand_," he said, grumpily. He slithered into my bag from around my neck. When he was gone, the Feavii seemed to relax.

"Anyway," Justuo said, clearing his throat. "We were just getting some training in, if you'd like to join us."

"Yeah, you should hang out with us today!" Kairi exclaimed as if it were the best idea she'd heard all day. I could tell she was much more at ease around her friends than she was when it was just Yoru and the two of us.

"I guess I could stick around for a little while," I said, shrugging.

"Sweet," Mizu said high-fiving Yomi. Kairi chuckled.

"Azi could get some sparring in, too," Yoru offered.

"I don't think any of Mpopyya could really stand a chance against her," Kairi said, raising her hands in defense. "I've seen her take a guy three times her size out."

"Yeah, sounds like she's out of Mpopyya's league," Prompto teased.

"Oh, please," Yomi snapped. "You would say that, wouldn't you?" Yami crossed her arms beside Yomi, raising an eyebrow as she did.

"Let's not get to bickering, guys," Kairi chastised. "I'm just saying, Azi can hold her own, easily."

"You've got that right," Yoru agreed. I hid a triumphant grin easily. The girls liked to boast my skills, but I was a little uneasy with the way any fights would end, especially among this new group, Avalanche. Prompto had a fine set of guns, and I wasn't a very big fan of them. Serein had a huge set sharpened wheels chained together that she had probably perfected. The look of her appearance told me she had quite a few years under her belt to have trained with the unique weapon considering she was an Elf.

"Well, let's see what you've got," Justuo said, a smile on his face.

Kairi's Point of View

Azi and Justuo fought first, but the match was nearly equaled. They had two very fighting styles. Azi was sloppy and powerful but Justuo was fast and measured. Justuo mostly dodged her attacks, but Azi was pretty quick, too. She would land a hard blow, but Justuo would counter with another blow.

Justuo had the upper hand, but only slightly. For some reason, all the attacks he sent at Azi, she had a reaction for, almost like she had been in so many fights that she knew what to expect, even from Justuo, who was sporadic.

In the end, we called it a draw. The rest had our goes at one another before Rath returned to us, signaling lunch break.

"Hey Azi, you should stay for lunch," Kiyo offered kindly.

"Yeah, that would be awesome," I added, giving her a pleading smile.

Azi looked around for a moment or two before sighing. "Fine, girl, but I've got to go after this," she said sternly. "I only came to check up on ya. Spark is going to think I got thrown in jail or something." Yoru and I laughed at that.

Once we were inside the dining hall, we seated ourselves at one of the long wooden tables, the one we always sat at for lunch. Azi sat between Yoru and me. Kiyo sat on my other side, talking with Mizu on the other side of the table from her, and Justuo on the other side of her. "So what do you think of Avalanche?" I asked.

"They seem to be nice people," Azi replied with a shrug. She ate at her biscuit while we spoke.

"They can be when they want to be," Yoru said matter-of-factly.

Azi reached forward, grasping a bottle of wine at random. She poured herself a glass before saying, "I'm not used to all this fancy, formal stuff. I just pick up the bottle and swig. If I'm in a good mood, I'll use a shot glass."

I laughed, then, which caused me to miss the label on the wine she'd chosen. Before I could read it, Azi drank from the glass. She winced as she swallowed, and she quickly pulled the glass away from her mouth.

"Why the hell does this taste like blood?" she demanded. She clenched at her stomach in discomfort. I glanced at her glass, noticing the red wine staining the glass.

"Oh," I muttered under my breath. "There's blood in it."

Azi's face turned to horror as her skin paled, turning slightly green. "B-blood? In wine?" She clenched her eyes shut as her hand trailed to her mouth. I barely noticed Skye moving to sit across from me, beside Mizu. Azi's eyes snapped open before she shoved the glass forward, spilling its contents all over him, whether it was on purpose or on accident, I wasn't sure.

She jumped up from the table before darting from the dining hall. I felt guilt course through me as I exchanged a look with Yoru. We stood in unison before following after her. Surprisingly, she had found her way to the Gardens without any help, and she was throwing up in some bushes near the castle's main entrance.

"Oh my Fate," Azi breathed as she gagged. "I can't believe I just…" Another round of gagging consumed her. I felt sympathy rush through me. "I'll never drink another drop of red wine in my many years."

Once Azi had composed herself, she sat on the steps of the castle while Yoru and I tried to apologize for not catching the mistake sooner. Azi didn't say much in response, probably still feeling sick to her stomach. She left soon after, and Yoru and I returned to the dining hall to finish our lunch.

"Note to your Elf friend, Kairi: Never pick up a lone bottle of wine around the castle," Skye said when I sat back down.

"Don't be a jerk, Skye," I replied, crossing my arms.

"Hey, I'm just saying," he said, raising his free hand in the air as defense. Mizu was wrapped in his other arm as she and Kiyo enthused about a book they'd recently read.

"You don't have to be so condescending," I chastised. "Just be nice. She's our friend."

"If you say so," he replied, but I could hear in his voice he would try to be nicer. He'd better, anyway.


	53. Reality Greets You

_**~Chapter Fifty: Reality Greets You~**_

Nightmare's Point of View

Several days passed after the Raven incident, and the castle was abuzz.

With Mpopyya bustling around with talk of going to Feywood for their rooms to get remodeled, it was easy for Yami and me to come to a mutual agreement of sharing rooms. Of course, I'd tell Ash about it later. Yami would have to tell me what she'd like done to it before she left with the others. I approached my door in the West Wing. Yami was sitting in the middle of the room, all furniture was gone. I raised an eyebrow, wondering how she had even managed this. I'd told her the maids would be painting and decorating.

"What are you doing?" I asked walking into our new room that we'd be sharing.

"Painting," she said, dipping the bristled paint brush into the bucket of red paint she'd probably acquired from Rath or Fear. Fear more likely due to her love for color.

"I thought we agreed on dark blue," I said as I leaned against the now bare walls of the room. She raised an eyebrow at me.

"_You_ agreed on dark blue," she replied. I felt a storm brewing in her words. I also felt a bit of irritation towards this.

"Yami," I groaned. "You have to stop with all the black and red all the time." I knew she felt outraged after I spoke those words by the expression on her face. She dropped the brush and stood up straighter.

"Excuse me?" she demanded.

"I'm just saying. This is _our_ room. We have to share it," I said, trying to keep a fight from breaking out.

"But I'm the girl. I get what I want," she snapped.

"Babe, you should have asked me," I said wearily.

"You paint it then!" she said in irritation as she walked towards the hallway.

"Yami," I began, but she'd already slammed the door behind her. I rolled my eyes, deciding it was best to let her go off and cool down for a little bit. I picked up the paint brush that had left a red splat on the now bare floor.

"Are you done pouting?" I asked, leaning against Yami's old room's door frame. She was on her bed, refusing to look at me.

"No," she said stubbornly. She was a bit ridiculous sometimes. I knew how to handle this situation though. Hopefully this would end this little debate.

"Come here," I said. "I have to show you something." Yami stayed still on her bed, refusing to stand, much less follow me. "You're such a brat sometimes." I crossed the room, wrapped an arm around her, and threw her over my shoulder.

"Put me down!" she said, beating against my back and thrashing around in a struggle to break free.

"In a second," I replied as I continued walking down the hall to our new room. Once I reached the room, I sat Yami down on her feet and helped steady her balance.

"What?" she huffed.

"Look," I said, pointing into the room. The still wet and sticky walls were red and black.

"It's red and black," she stated.

"Yea. Now look at the bathroom and closet," I said, walking over to the doors to the empty walk in closet and then the bathroom. Both were dark blue and black. "Compromise. It's how we work, babe," I said as I wrapped my arms around her from behind while she gazed into the bathroom that would soon have black and dark blue tiled floor.

"You're right," Yami said. "Sorry I was being bratty." She turned in my arms to gaze into my eyes apologetically.

"You're always bratty," I teased with a shrug. "But you're my brat. I love you."

"Love you, too," she said, smiling and touching her nose to mine. "This is perfect."

"Anything for you, milady," I said, knowing it would tease her.

"Don't be obnoxious," Yami replied, kissing me. "Come on. Let's go mess with Trace." I rolled my eyes playfully at her new obsession with teasing Trace through Kairi's mind connection with him.

"Anything for you, milady," I replied with a smile. She cut her eyes at me playfully before taking my hands and leading me from the room.

Kairi's Point of View

Lightning. It was the only thing that had been pulsing through my mind. I was outside in the Gardens, waiting. It was the middle of the day, and we were on a lunch break from training (which Kiyo had been graciously excused from.) I sat in the northeastern most part of the Gardens inside one of the stone gazebos. The moon blossoms were dormant in the sunshine that warmed the air.

This was where we usually met. I'd come every single day since the incident with Elliot and Trace. Lightning hadn't showed up once. The last time I'd made contact with him was the day before Raven attacked Kiyo, and it had been through Trace's body. Talk about awkward…An idea sprang to life in my head.

I blew out, cleared my mind, and spoke to Trace. _Hey, what's going on over there?_ I thought to him. His reply was instantaneous.

_Watching the news. Boring shit,_ he replied with a lazy tone. _Why do you ask?_

_ I want Lightning to come visit me._

_Kairi…,_ Trace sighed. _I don't think you really want to see him right now._

_ Yes, I do!_ I snapped. _I at least want to talk to him._

Trace was quiet for such a long time that I didn't think he was going reply. I was about to give up and try a new approach when he spoke again. _If you really want to, then I will let you talk to him through my body, but be warned, Kairi, it isn't easy over here._

_ It isn't exactly easy over here, either,_ I replied sharply. I don't know what it was about Trace today that irritated the hell out of me, especially considering he wasn't being a jerk.

I felt the tingly feeling that I always felt when I was losing control of my body. I opened myself completely to his control. I allowed my mind to pour into his. I was aware of water dripping down my back in little droplets. I breathed in deeply, and scents of things I didn't know existed tickled my nostrils. Dust, water, cloth, and so much more! I noted that my hair was shorter, and it was wet, sticking to my face. The soft touch of cloth covered me. My vision caught specks of dust and spectrums of rainbows from light bulbs in the room I was sitting. The smallest of details jumped out at me.

I noticed it all in seconds, so quickly and efficiently, I felt that I should be overwhelmed, but I wasn't. I looked around. Trace's room was dim with the exception of the lamp beside his bed and the television hanging on the wall that was indeed playing the news. His curtains were drawn to block out any excessive light from the sun. I realized he had just taken a shower.

"Morbid much?" I muttered aloud, and my breath caught in my throat. It was weird to hear Trace speaking instead of me.

_You're one too talk. A fucking garden? What is this, Mary Poppins?_ Trace's reply came through my head.

My attention returned to the television, where a girl spoke. _Ash's forces have been just as damaged as our own in recent battles. In these times, we remember the Harbingers of Chaos, a group of elite soldiers that Lord Elliot himself trained and taught. With their help once more, this war could be turned around._ I physically shuddered at her words. I didn't want to hear anymore about these "Harbingers of Chaos" or anything else that could help decimate my kingdom.

I stood up and found the movement strangely disorienting. Trace's movements were graceful and powerful at the same time. _Where's Lightning?_ I asked through my mind.

_His room_, Trace said wearily. _You'll know. Just use my memory._ I left his room, and summoned up some directions. I was dumbfounded by the easy way I maneuvered the halls of the foreign castle. In hindsight, I scold myself for not memorizing the halls and using the information for Ash's advantage. Love blinds people, changes them, and completely takes over their life. I had learned the hard way.

I passed people I viewed as enemies. Midnight and Leo walked down the hall together, chatting indifferently. Even, someone I had completely forgotten before seeing him then, was propped up against the wall outside of what Trace's memory told me was Elliot's throne room. I suppressed a shudder and continued, wanting to hurry to Lightning's room.

I knew I'd reached it when I had left the main hall that bored the entrance to Elliot's castle and the entrance to his throne room. It was a small hallway with few doors. I wondered for a split second if Elliot's castle was anything like Ash's in terms of rooming his inner circle. I hesitated outside of his door, halfway between knocking and standing there in a dumb way.

I had to keep Trace's attitude. I opened the door without knocking, and found myself face to face with the familiar stranger of a room. Trace knew this room very well. I had never seen it in my entire life. Lightning was curled up on the bed in what seemed to be a mock fetal position. His arms stretched of his abdomen as if in pain.

The room wasn't lit very well, but it was very easy for me to make out the position of piles of clothes in the floor and random objects lying askew. Lightning acted as if I weren't here at all. He had a lamp beside his bed on a night stand that served for the only lighting in the entire room. Did all Vampires live in darkened rooms? Grace-Lilly didn't…

"Lightning," I said softly. His eyes darted to mine. They were blood shot and bore red irises. Beneath his eyes were dark circles that indicated lack of sleep and nutrition. My jaw fell open without my permission.

"What do you want, Trace?" he whispered gruffly, but it was as clear as if he'd said it aloud, right in front of me.

"You look like you were hit by a bus!" I gasped, rushing forward. He recoiled as soon as I reached his bed. "Lightning!" I scolded.

There was a long pause where we stayed frozen in place. His eyes watched me with guarded observation. I watched the wheels start turning in his mind, and his eyes told me that he realized it was me instead of Trace. Before he had the chance to say my name, or even anything, I launched myself at him with more force than I'd intended. We fell off the side of his bed and landed on the floor with a thump.

"Holy Fates, Lightning, what's happened to you?!" I asked with a swelling in my chest. He made a pained noise, and I instantly struggled to get off of him. "I'm sorry, babe," I said, bending to help him up.

Lightning's eyes glowered up at me with malice. I took a step back, surprised at his hostility. He stumbled to his feet seeming fatigued. "What are you doing here, Kairi?" he asked. His voice was cold, his eyes were void of emotion now.

"I was worried," I stammered. I saw indecision flicker in his eyes. "I'm sorry if I upset you."

"You're not safe doing this," he said through clenched teeth.

"But you're worth the risk," I whispered, moving closer.

"No," he said, stepping back. Pain twisted his features. "No, you need to leave, now."

"Why? Am I in trouble? Does Elliot know I'm here?" I whispered. His eyes looked at me with desperation. He stepped forward, entering my personal space. My breath caught. His arm pulled me close to him, and I allowed him to wrap me in a hug.

"I'm sorry," he breathed softly.

"Why, Lightning? What's happening?" I asked louder than a whisper. He shakily kissed my forehead instead of answering. Then his eyes hardened to cold and calculating.

"Kairi, we can't be together anymore."

Silence. Deathly still and quiet. Not even the sound of dust motes or ticking clocks penetrated the quiet.

"What?" I finally asked.

"We can't be together," he said slowly. A tickle of Darkness tinged the air, and I mentally shivered.

"Why the hell not?" I demanded, but it came out a lot shakier than I wished.

He winced, and his hand went to his head. "We aren't good for each other," Lightning hissed.

"You lair! There's something you aren't telling me!" I growled, but it wasn't fierce like Trace's voice should have been. It was that of a frail girl, not even a Guardian.

"There's nothing more to tell," he said coldly. A cutting edge in his voice told me he was still keeping things from me.

"Lightning, stop it!" I finally whispered. "I love you, and I need you."

"You need to leave," he corrected with venom in his words.

"It's Midnight, isn't it?!" I said, allowing anger to be my biggest motivation. I couldn't break down yet. To my surprise, I didn't pause when I felt Trace's fangs slide out in my mouth. "She made you fall for her!" My accusation had tears of frustration running down my cheeks.

"This has _nothing_ to do with Midnight," Lightning snapped.

"Then what?!" I said, stepping forward with speed I didn't realize I could accomplish. "What could have possibly made you want to break up with me so badly?"

His fangs glistened in the dim light as he spoke in my face. His hand touched my cheek where a new tear trickled. "Sometimes it has nothing to do with personal motivation." Lightning's tone was dark. "Leave this place, and find someone better for you. Stop trying to mingle our destinies."

"I can't do that," I whispered. "God damn it, Lightning, you were my first everything that we've done."

"And I'm sorry for that. But I can't continue to be with you," he hesitated ever so slightly, but I noticed it with Trace's sharp eyes. "I can't continue to be with you because I am your enemy and you are mine."

My heart prickled and I could practically feel it shattering. My breath swept from my lungs. "You…!" I managed, but it was so quiet, I feared he wouldn't hear until I remembered he could hear the softest of sighs, even the blink of eye lashes this close. "You don't mean that," I tried to say more firmly. It was more to convince myself than him.

"I do," he said with more conviction than before. I shook my head. "I _can't _love you, Kairi! Leave!" His hands began shaking, and he slowly let the one touching my cheek fall. His own eyes head the slightest glisten of tears.

"No!" I yelled. "_No!_"

Lightning's face gave away, and I saw sheer torture. "Please," he whispered. I felt myself slowly losing control of my body – of Trace's body. I acted on a whim, slamming myself against Lightning.

"I love you!" I said fiercely. "I love you so much, and I hope you know that! I always will! Everything you've put me through…! Everything we've done together! I will never forget it."

"Stay away from me, or I'll hurt you, Kairi," Lightning said gravely. His voice was bitter, sharp, and the most painful sound I'd ever heard. He gave me a shove to get push me away from him. My head became light. I was beyond fierceness. I didn't have it left in me.

"Why?" I pleaded. It didn't sound like Trace at all. It didn't sound like me, either. I held onto Trace's firm body for as long as I could, waiting for Lightning's reply. It was only seconds before I received my answer, but I wasn't in control of Trace's body anymore.

"He's Elliot's pawn now. There's nothing I can do," Trace said, straightening his posture. He wiped the tears from his cheeks, an annoyed thread of thoughts passing through his mind before I was pushed back to my own. When I blinked, light met me.

The gardens with all its spring time flowers and green hedges greeted me instead of Lightning's dimly lit room.

_I'm sorry._ It echoed through my head in Lightning's voice. I didn't realize I was sobbing until a sob choked me. I clutched my chest that felt like a tight cage. More of Lightning's words bit into me like ice. As they echoed through my head, reverberating like ripples and creating waves in my pools of thought, I couldn't force myself to breathe right. It was as if my breath had been taken from me. I couldn't move right, and the air would not suck back into my lungs.

I squished my legs to my chest, laying my forehead on them in a desperate attempt to tame the hysterics. My emotions swiveled out of my reach, my control having died with any composure I had kept for the five seconds that Trace had taken to push me back into my own mind and body.

I hoped with every fiber in my being that someone would not find me. That training would go on without them missing me. I didn't want to be around people, not now, probably not later. I wanted to shove my hand into my chest and pull that throbbing pain out. My hopes were short lived.

"Kairi!" I heard a voice, and dread consumed me at the realization of who it was. Skylar was by my side in a matter of only seconds. "Stop, you're bleeding!" I glanced down at my arms where I had mindlessly been scratching in anxiety. Red marks trailed them, looking angry against my pale skin. I hadn't realized until then. "What's wrong?!" he asked, bending to my level of sight.

"S-Skye!" I sobbed hysterically. On a whim, I threw myself into his arms, wanting nothing but to know what was happening to me, because I wasn't sure if what I'd just experienced was real or if I was losing it. I wanted a family member. I wanted my mother's rare embrace. I wanted my grandma's warm smile and teasing gestures. My stomach lurched when I realized how much I wanted their opinion and comfort on what I'd just gone through. I wanted to tell my mom that I'd had my first kiss. I wanted to hear Chloe's reaction when she heard about it all. I wanted Lightning to pop back into my head and tell me he had been joking or he'd been threatened to say those words.

"Hey, hey, calm down. It's okay," he whispered softly. He squeezed me tighter. "I'm here."

I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to spill my guts, cry on his shoulder, take in his comforting words and pretend I had never met Lightning. I wanted to come clean then and there, but at the same time, I wanted Lightning to appear from a portal and wrap me in his arms. I wanted a lot of things in that moment.

But I couldn't get any of them. Not then. Not yet. I would have to endure just a little longer. I'd cry to Yomi and Yoru later. I had to find out what was going on inside me. I could not control myself, and I was shaking like a freight train.

"Skye, what's going on inside me? Why can't I control my own feelings?" I whispered instead of divulging in him like my heart screamed. Skye patted my back awkwardly at first until he found a rhythm that suited us both.

"I guess it can wait no longer then," he sighed. I pulled back enough to cock my head to the side. I hiccupped and sniffled a little before raising an eyebrow at him. "Have you ever heard of a Greet?"

I shook my head. He paused for several seconds before a calm soothing feeling filled the air, enveloping me in its embrace much like Skye was. I felt my eyes widen in surprise. "You feel it then?" he asked.

"Yea," I whispered. "But I've recently been feeling that – that weird feeling like the air has feelings of its own."

"It isn't the air. It's the people around you. You feel my calm, you feel my control," Skye explained. "People give off auras, and those auras are influenced by who that person is, their personality, their emotions, even their magic. Every aura is unique, and though you probably can't see them yet, you're beginning to experiment and put your walls down to their emotional influence."

"What makes me so special?" I asked critically, though I was completely intrigued by Skye's words. "You seem to know a good bit about it. Can you do this…this emotional stuff, too?"

"You and I are Greets," Skye said. "We can control, influence, and even destroy the emotions around us."

"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" I asked half irritated half bewildered.

"It's a piece of my past. But it's time you know that, as well," Skye said with a sigh. "But let me tell you more about Greets."

"Alright, I'm all ears."

"Greets have the ability to destroy, or Perish, emotions. It's a very broad skill. When I say emotions, it isn't only restricted to feelings. There've been cases where a Greet has completely wiped out someone's love for another. They've destroyed people's happiness and people's sadness. Pain can be tampered with. Pain is in the mind. Greets are even said to be able to wipe out bits of mental distraught wreaking magics such as Light and Darkness. I've never seen it been done before, and there is no written record of such a skilled Greet, but the possibilities are endless."

"Skye!" I gasped. "Why haven't you told me this yet?! I could've been teaching myself stuff like how to perish Darkness when Justuo goes crazy near Kiyo!"

"Kairi, it takes a lot of practice to learn to keep others' emotions from effecting your own, and even longer to influence their emotions. Perishing…well, it isn't very easy, either."

"Explain how my emotions affect others and vice versa," I said, trying to wrap my mind around this bizarre discovery.

"If the people around you are feeling a particularly strong emotion, it will probably influence your own emotions. But, the same goes for you; if you're feeling an emotion that's stronger than theirs, then there is a good chance that they'll be influenced by your emotions. It's a never-ending circle, honestly. But you've got to learn how to block others out. Needless to say, I think you're pretty good at it considering you've kept a wall around yourself for your entire life."

"But why have my emotions just started becoming so unbearable?" I asked.

"Greets are very emotional people. Some of them are easily upset. Some of them are easily pleasured. Some are easily angered," he paused to give me a smile and a shrug. "It takes a long time to learn control, but it will come."

"Will you help me?" I asked after a long silence.

"Of course," Skye replied. I plopped down on a bench outside the gazebo. My legs were tired from standing, and my mind was reeling with my break up and with the new information Skye had told me.

"So what is it? Am I not a Sanctian?" I asked.

"Greets aren't their own species. Greets are like Wizards and Witches in that respect. Most species can be born a Greet, but it's usually in the blood," Skye explained.

"I see," I finally said. I pressed my palms to my warm forehead and eyes and rest my elbows on my knees. "So how're you a Greet and a Vampire?"

Skye sighed softly then. "We all make mistakes, Kairi," he said. His words made my stomach wrench. If he only knew… "I was young when our mother had you, only five."

"What?" I asked, looking up at him with confusion.

"Remember, this was in a distant past life to you," Skye said with a knowing smile.

"Oh," I said, feeling a bit dumb. "Right."

"You were the apple of the entire family's eye. Even mine," he said, nudging me. "I remember helping you learn to walk and talk." He painted an image in my head that I found weirdly comforting. "But when you grew older, it became obvious who you really were. You were a Guardian, and it didn't take long before Elliot and his men came looking for you. I wasn't old enough to understand why, but I knew that they wanted to take you from our family.

"Our parents sent us to the Paranormal World. Zephyr welcomed us with open arms, and Ash took us in at the castle. Dawn was particularly fond of me. He trained me, and he and Ash saw true potential. You were raised in the Guardian Academy, honing your hidden skills that were buried from pasts before." A trickle of sadness passed around us at the mention of Dawn, Ash's best friend that was practically his brother. He had been killed before we came to the Sanctuary and Paranormal World.

"Dawn made me his prodigy. I was eighteen. He took me in, and I trained under him fiercely." There was a sad smile on his face, and I knew it must've been awful for him to have lost him Master. That was like Midnight losing Trace.

"Word came," he said, his tone darkening. I glanced up at him, slightly surprised by the change. "Elliot had found our parents and our empty beds. There was nothing left of the house, or our parents for that matter." Skye was quiet for a really long time. "I went after Elliot. I was at the age where my emotional barricade had fallen. I was over-emotional, completely blind with rage. Fire was my passion, and it fed off of my anger.

"I came upon Elliot's castle, but they were waiting for me. I was spontaneous, Kairi, and too young to know how to defend myself against his dark arts." His eyes were distant, his smile was grim. "I was practically murdered, but Trace made sure I was alive to give me the choice of joining their ranks or dying. The downfall to joining their side was I had to give them inside information on Ash and his kingdom. And you.

"I didn't want to die. I was only sixteen. I was reckless, selfish, childish, and irrational."

I waited for more, but Skye didn't say anything. I cleared my throat. "What happened next?" I whispered.

"The biggest mistake of my life, Kairi," Skye said with a sideways glance to see my reaction. "I joined Elliot's side. I was the death of many people, including you in that life. It haunts me to this day," he admitted with a shrug. I felt his emotions shuddering around me, influencing my feelings. Malice and loathing directed towards himself was prominent. I touched his arm. "I was even Mizu's downfall in that segment of your lives."

"You changed, though, and that's what I want to hear about," I said, positively.

"Dawn, despite my obvious betrayal, still took me in as his prodigy. He helped me learn self control, taught me how to survive. Ash forgave me, and I gained his trust back, little by little," Skye replied, sounding a little lighter. "I've never been more devoted to someone in all my lives."

"You aren't a terrible person, see?" I said with a smile.

"Yea, I guess. But I still killed my only flesh and blood left," he said after a little bit of silence.

"But I'm here now? Doesn't that count?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course," he replied immediately.

"And Mizu's with you, too," I added.

"Yes," he said, his eyes melting at her name. "She is with me."

"And my little sister, Annesonte." It had come out automatically, and I didn't expect the reaction it induced him to.

"Annesonte?" he asked, his voice sharp. "Who's that?"

"Um…My sister from the Human World's Sanctian," I said testily.

"Annesonte…Fatewin?" he wondered wearily but his suspicion had died down a bit.

"Yea, she has pink hair like me and the same blue eyes. But she has to wear braces on her knees," I said. Skye watched me carefully.

"Tell me more about her," he finally said. I nodded eagerly. It took a long time to tell him all I'd learned about my sister in the weekend we had been in the Sanctuary. But he was genuinely interested in anymore family he had. After hearing his story, I wasn't surprised. I didn't blame him.

Skye had done a very good job in distracting me for the moment, but as soon as I was alone, I realized the truth: Lightning and I were no more. I found myself knocking on Yomi's door later than night. When she answered, she was wearing a comfortable looking pair of pajama pants and a sweatshirt to match. Her hair was loose and messy with remnants of Fonda's primp classes.

"Kairi?" she asked in a surprised tone that told me she had probably been sleeping or reading before I had knocked.

"Yomi," I whispered, my voice wavering. My face threatened to crumble in on itself.

"What's wrong?" demanded Yomi in her defensive voice.

"We have to talk."

"Who am I stabbing?" she growled, and I noticed her hand twitch at if she were really ready to summon her daggers.

"It's Lightning," I swallowed. Her eyes glared ice into nothing in particular.

"Oh," she said in such a condescending tone that I almost flinched. "Oh, it's on, son." She pulled me into her room, where I divulged my heart.

"I told you the little twerp was bad news," Yomi said after I was done. "I never liked him."

"Something had to be up, Yomi," I whispered. "He couldn't have just decided one day that we couldn't be together."

"And you're sure Trace said he was listening to Elliot now?"

"He said, and I do quote this, 'He's Elliot's pawn now.' I'm not exactly sure what that means, but considering Elliot wanted me dead the last time I saw him, maybe he's trying to use Lightning against me."

Yomi nodded slowly. "That could be it. But we don't have enough to go off of." I blew out a long sigh of frustration. "Does Lancer know?" she asked. I shook my head before pressing my palms to my forehead as I had before when talking to Skye.

"Good luck with that one," Yomi said.

"There's nothing more to be done tonight," I finally said. "I'll see you tomorrow. I've still got a lot to tell you."

"More Love problems?" she guessed.

"Nope," I replied as I stood, making my way to her door. "Skye, Family, and Greet crap."

"Greet?" she wondered, looking at me funny. "What's a Greet?"

"Tomorrow," I promised before walking through her door and shutting it behind me. I went straight to my room. I didn't want to see anyone else. I wanted to have a date with my pillow and blanket. No diaries. No pestering questions. No heartache. Sleep plus Kairi equals happiness.

That week passed quickly. I'd told my friends about Greets, and confided my break up in the members of Mpopyya who knew about Lightning and me. Our trip to Feywood was today, and we were excited as ever. Mpopyya was jittery. We couldn't wait to see something other than the castle walls.

However, we found it very annoying that Ash was sending us with a heavy guard. I thought Avalanche would have sufficed just fine, but if Ash wants it, so be it.

* * *

**I want to thank Yami for writing the piece between her and Nightmare, and I want to think all of my devoted readers. You're the best. Keep reading, reviewing, and enjoying! Feywood's our next destination! REVIEW, SUGGEST, FIX, AND ENJOY~!**

**~Kairi**


	54. Feywood Bound

_**Beta Version: This is just a rough draft, and will be changed later.**_

_**~Chapter Fifty-One: Guests of Feywood~**_

My backpack weighed me down very little. It was nothing compared to a protectant. Ash spoke, drawing my attention back to him instead of the bag of necessities for the weekend.

"Don't wonder away from the group," Ash said in a stern manner. He was talking to all of Mpopyya, Lea, and Kimi. It was decided that Kimi would stay with Avalanche until an apartment would be open in Zephyr or a room could be made in the castle for her. Lea was coming so she could get the chance to get out of the castle walls. We weren't the only wants with Spring Fever.

"We won't, King!" Lea cheered from atop Kiyo's shoulders. "Promise!"

"The little Phoenix is right," Justuo said coming up from behind her and tickling her. She squirmed and wiggled until falling into Justuo's arms.

"Stop it, Zephy, stop it!" Lea giggled. "That was mean!"

"Yea, mean icky monster!" Kiyo taunted in a baby voice.

"Rawr! Justuo's going to eat all the good little Phoenixes!" Justuo said in a dramatic "monster voice" that was completely out of character for him in this world.

"No, no!" Lea called as she wriggled and laughed. Justuo lifted her up and shook her gently as he made her descend towards him.

"Auntie Kairi, don't let the mean Justuo Monster get Lea!" Kiyo said in a baby voice. I nudged Justuo aside, unable to help the smile on my face.

I tossed a small flame at his face, and he faked a defeat before lowering Lea into my arms. "Quick, go to Kiyo!" I said helping her "fly" to Kiyo's awaiting arms. Ash chuckled, and the rest of Mpopyya and Avi were warmed by the sight. Except for maybe Akira and Hana. They seemed a bit emotionless of the prospect.

"She's so precious!" Kimi gushed.

"Isn't she?" I whispered back to her.

"I trust you to take care of them," Ash said to Avalanche as he sobered. "I mean it."

"No harm will come to them in our care," Fayt promised.

"That's good to hear," Nightmare said from nearby. He was watching Yami with guarded eyes. She smiled at him.

"Bye, babe," Mizu said to Skye as they were embracing. "I'm going to miss you."

"I know, love. I'll miss you, too." Skye kissed her hair before she came to our side. Yami and Nightmare had said their goodbye already.

Ash turned to the soldiers that would be protecting us on our journey that Avalanche just couldn't shake. "Once they get to the Zantia in the east, part with them. I'm sure Avalanche will be able to handle their own by then. But for safe measure," he paused, turning to face Mpopyya. "I want your servants on guard until you arrive."

"Of course," I said waving my hand dismissively.

_Wouldn't have it any other way,_ Lancer said in my mind. He was inside of me, hiding from the outside world. Much like Kuroyasha and Ryokua. The mention of Ryokua reminded me of Misula…but I refused to think of her now. I couldn't ruin my trip to Feywood for the first time ever by dwelling on Misula and Lightning.

"Ready to leave?" Justuo asked.

"Yep!" I said with excitement. Kiyo, still holding Lea, made her way to Ash.

Ash smiled at her before kissing her forehead. "I'm going to miss you so much, love," he breathed.

"I know. I'll be okay, though," she said with a smile. "Kairi, Yoru, and Justuo won't let anything happen to me."

"For their sakes', I hope you're right," he said.

"Silly Daddy, Mommy will be okay with me! I'll make sure bad people don't get her," Lea said in a matter of fact tone. The smile that rose to my face at Lea's innocent comment slipped from my face when a rush of anger and envy encased the air around the group. It was fiery anger, and dark envy, enough to tip me off that it was emitting from Justuo. Several Avi members seemed to shift their stances slightly, and I knew they also felt his…well, loathing is the only thing I can call it. Skye's eyes met mine, and I knew he was aware of the change in emotional tension in the room.

Ash chuckled and kissed Lea's forehead. "Of course you will, Lea. I trust you."

"Good!" she said, sounding very serious.

"Hop down for a second, Lea," Kiyo said. She lowered her to the floor where she hugged Ash's leg. Kiyo hugged Ash around the torso.

"Be safe," he whispered. "I'd come with you, but I'm worried there will be an attack in my absence."

"It's okay," Kiyo reassured him. "Just do what you have to do."

"I will, love," Ash replied before kissing her gently. Yomi met my eyes with that overwhelmed look of "oh gosh, they're so darn cute!" in her eyes. I returned the look before looking back at Kiyo and Ash. They had parted, and Kiyo was lifting Lea up onto her hip.

Despite the over-powering irritation in the air, I could sense their love and several other things like Nightmare's weariness and Mpopyya's excitement. And their apprehension. "Let's go," Prompto said cheerily.

"I'm with the blond one," Yami teased. I looked between the two, noticing they had gotten closer. Maybe Yami had been hanging out with him after training or something. Justuo was the first to walk out of the throne room. The doors were open to the long hallway that led to the Garden Courtyard. Fayt and Aki exchanged glances before following after him.

"I love you," Kiyo whispered to Ash. "I'll see you soon."

"I'll check in at noon, okay? I love you, too, Kiyo," Ash said moving her hair from her face and kissing her forehead. She met his lips for a few seconds before parting and coming to my side.

"Bye, Daddy!" Lea said waving as Kiyo lifted her higher on her hip.

"Goodbye, Lea," Ash said gently.

"Bye Ashu-Niisama!" Yomi and I said in unison.

"Bye babe!" Yami called to Nightmare, but she was already halfway down the hall with Prompto. Akira and Hana followed their pursuit.

"Bye, Brother! Bye Skylar." Mizu's smile turned goofy as she turned from them. Yoru and I nodded to Ash and everyone else that had showed to see us off.

"Bye, Negative," Yomi said with innocence. "See you soon."

"I'll see you soon, Yomi," Negative replied with a small smile.

Serein gave an Elvish bow of some sort before saying goodbye to Ash and leading the remaining Mpopyya members, Ash's soldiers, and Kimi towards the rest of Avi.

"Keep calm, _Havjetuu_," I barely heard Fayt say as Serein opened the door. I realized he was talking to Justuo when a wave of anger brushed past me. Kimi watched them curiously as Serein stepped forward to Justuo's side.

"Come now, _Havjetuu_," she said, pulling him forward with a smile of encouragement. Avalanche and Mpopyya dispersed into groups. Yami, Mizu, Aki, and Prompto began chatting about the beneficial use of guns while Serein, Hana, and Kimi spoke of travel ahead. Yomi and Yoru had branched off, leaving Kiyo, Lea, and I in between Ash's soldiers and Justuo who was at the head of the group. Akira was at the rear with the soldiers. Fayt stayed near Justuo as we proceeded.

"What do you think?" I asked Kiyo as we walked through the streets of Zephyr.

"I don't know. I'm really excited!" she said.

"I know, I can feel it," I laughed. It was like a bubbling happiness that flitted around her. I could feel it through our mind connection. "I'm excited, too!" I whispered to her. "It's like we get to see a piece of Justuo that's been hidden for the three years we've known him!"

"It's going to be pretty amazing," she agreed.

"We get to see Zephy's house?" Lea asked with a smile. Zephy was her nickname for Justuo. It was a shortened version of his middle name, Zephyr. Which I had found strange and had pondered upon many times…

"Yep, that is correct, _hasvan_," Serein said falling in step with us.

"What does _hasvan_ mean?" Kiyo asked, seeming slightly critical.

"It's roughly translated to 'young one' or 'youngling' in Elvish," Serein explained.

"Is it meant in a mean way?" I asked, fascinated.

"No, not at all," she said with a smile.

"I want to learn Elvish," I declared.

"I'm sure Justuo and the rest of Avalanche would be willing to help you," Serein replied pleasantly.

"We're going to stop by the apartments in East Zephyr," Prompto said from ahead of us. "We need to grab our own bags."

"We get to see a real man cave!" Mizu said with excitement. "I've never actually seen one!"

"I saw Justuo's when he lived in the Human World, if that counts," Kiyo said.

"Yea, that thing was definitely messy," Kimi agreed. "He and his brother need to invest in some doing the dishes."

Justuo, surprisingly enough, did not say anything in return. Kiyo's face fell slightly. "I thought Zephy lived in the pretty forest?" Lea said critically.

"You see, Lea, Justuo only has an apartment here in Zephyr so that he can stay near the castle if he needs to. He and the rest of Avalanche stay there, too," Kiyo explained.

"So Kiki, Reenie, Faye-Faye, Zephy, Aki, Val, and Hana all stay in one house outside the castle?" Lea questioned. I giggled to myself at the nicknames she had assigned to the members of Avalanche. Kiki was probably the cutest of all due to the fact that it was Akira's. Big, bad wolf Akira with such a belittling name as Kiki. It made me smile. Reenie was Serein's nickname. Val was Prompto's, due to his last name, Valencia. Faye-Faye was obviously Fayt's name in Lea's eyes. Hana and Aki had the special privilege of keeping their names because of how easy they were for the young Phoenix to pronounce. Lea's world revolved around pronunciation at the age (or more like mentality) of five.

"Yep," Kiyo said.

"Why don't they just stay in the castle with us?" Lea wondered.

"Well hopefully King Ash will have rooms set up after the weekend has past," Kiyo said with a smile in Justuo's direction. His eyes grazed over her before returning to the path ahead. Refusing to let it buff her act for Lea, she said, "Wouldn't that be something? Justuo could stay in the castle and we could see him any time."

"And we could bake!" Lea squealed. "I like it when Zephy uses fire to cook the dough I give him."

"I never got to taste this dough of which Lea speaks," Mizu said shooting a playful look at Justuo.

"Neither have I," Yami interjected.

"Well it's the best cookies ever," Lea said matter-of-factly.

"She's right," Kiyo said nodding.

To my surprise, Justuo's barricade of irritation didn't falter at Lea's attempts to lighten the mood – even she could feel that something was off with him. I had a feeling it was Ash and Kiyo's little moment we had experienced before leaving that had him so upset. He couldn't be like this the entire time…could he?

The town around us began to transform. Cobblestone buildings, wooden houses, and straw piles changed to condo and apartment-looking things. Stores with glass windows that reflected technology that I had all but forgotten lounged at corners of the still cobblestoned streets. Yoru gave me a look as we passed a video game store. I smiled devilishly in response. Note to self: When you have a television, please remember to come and buy games for it.

"Justuo and I really like that place," Aki said with a nod to the gaming store.

"I'm sure Rath does, too," Yami said.

"I _know_ I would," I said without taking my eyes off of it as we passed it by.

"It has a lot of Human World hits," Justuo said. Everyone's eyes fell on him, even Avi's. It was the first thing he had said since we'd left the castle. "I have a few of them at the apartment."

"Awesome!" Kimi said. "We should get together and play them sometime."

"She hasn't seen Rath's room yet, has she?" Mizu laughed.

"Holy Fates, Kimi, if you think that Justuo had a lot of video games before in the Human World, then you are going to freak out when you see Rath's room," I said.

"Really?" she asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Huge flat screen, every game console made by man -," Yami said.

"And beast," Mizu interjected.

"And every game to go with them," Yami finished. I looked between them, feeling that weirded out feeling I always felt when Avalanche finished each other's sentences.

"Here we are," Aki said. I glanced ahead to Justuo and Aki. Several nice looking apartments stood a few feet away from us. The pastel cream color matched the stone streets, complimenting the apartments. I walked forward, slightly exhilarated by the thought of seeing Avalanche's residential space.

"Are we allowed in?" Kiyo asked.

"Of course," Serein said kindly, but Justuo didn't say anything. He opened the door to the first one, and Fayt gave one glance back at Aki and Serein before following.

"Make this a fast one," Fayt said before he entered the house. Serein smiled with bubbly optimism.

"Well, where shall you see first, _devinii_?" Serein asked. I arched an eyebrow at my friends. Yomi seemed uncaring, but I knew her interest was sparked. Mizu and Yami were practically bouncing, while Yoru and Kiyo were a bit more composed about the prospect.

Fayt's Point of View

Justuo went to his room immediately. "_Havjetuu,_" I sighed before following in pursuit. _Justuo, will you not be calm and social like always?_

_ Not with that stupid, eluding king of her's always making things worse for me,_ he growled into my mind.

_Justuo, it's best to let them be,_ Aki thought sincerely. _They're going to be together in this life._

_I wish you'd stop torturing yourself, man,_ Prompto added.

_I can't help it! She's all I can think about! Her soft lips against mine during a time when we used to be happy…_ His thought trailed from there.

_Put a smile on for our devinii,_ Serein said softly. _Happiness will meet you when she beckons._

Justuo didn't reply. As I pulled my bag onto my shoulders, Kairi and Yoru walked through the front door. Their eyes traveled the room. Kairi's face showed awe while Yoru's stayed composed. "It's a bit small," Kairi said.

"There's an upstairs," Justuo said from the top of the staircase. Kairi peeked past me, farther into the living room.

"Oh," Kairi said with a small laugh to herself.

"It's messy in here," Yoru commented as she brushed followed Kairi through the living room that hadn't been cleaned in a week at least. Most of the mess was from Aki and Justuo, though I do admit to having a hand in the messy stack of trinkets on the end table next to the couch. A puzzle ring, carved owl, and several stones lay in scatter across the surface.

"It's a man cave, what do you expect?" Aki said from the door. "Hey, Justuo, toss me my bag, please?"

"Sure," he said. Seconds later, Justuo came down the staircase with his own bag hoisted over his shoulder and Aki's in his hand.

"Thanks, bro," Aki said, weaving through Kairi, Yoru, and I before taking it from his grasp. "You ready to leave?"

"Hey," Kiyo's voice came from the entrance of the apartment. All eyes were drawn to her. She came in, and I realized Lea wasn't with her. She must have been outside with Mizu, the only Mpopyya member to have not come to explore Avalanche's apartments. I glanced at Justuo to see his reaction. He acted as if she were just another member of Mpopyya.

"Kiyo, look at the technology!" Yoru said, pointing her finger at the television and smiling. Kiyo smiled as she came into the room all the way.

"So this is Justuo, Aki, and Fayt's apartment?" Kiyo said as her eyes traveled the length of the whole room, taking in every detail.

"Hey, Prompto has a pretty awesome house, just saying!" Yami called from outside. "He's got guns hidden everywhere in case of the zombie apocalypse or a break in or something." Her red tipped black hair popped into the door frame surrounding her face.

"I like Serein and Hana's the most," Yoru said.

"I like Fayt's," Kairi said with a shrug. "That loops in with Aki and Justuo's, too."

"What do you like about it?" Justuo asked, suddenly. Kairi met his gaze before looking around the apartment silently.

Kairi's Point of View

When I first walked into the apartment that was Justuo's, I was immediately hit with the scent of Feavii. It was very obvious by the smell of the place that a bunch of young Feavii boys lived here. It smelled of pine and some other fresh scent, and just the slightest scent of each. I couldn't describe their house's scent anymore than that, probably because I didn't have a keen sense of smell like some of the other members of Mpopyya like Yomi and Yoru.

The layout for each of the apartments was the same. The front door opened into a huge, open apartment that had a high ceiling that reached the roof. A loft lay above the first floor. To my right, the living room was open and homely. To my left was a wall. Ahead, I could see into the kitchen. The living room floor was hard wood and the walls were a pale cream color. Pictures of Japanese architecture and random wooded areas littered the walls in miscellaneous patterns. A desk and computer sat in the far right corner to the wall adjacent to the kitchen. Near it, a nice television was sporting a blank screen. A game system sat beside it, also off. The controllers were on the coffee table that was in front of a nice couch about three or four feet away from the wall to my left, giving enough room for a straight path to the kitchen. A recliner lay in wait near the coffee table. The shelf that went with the television held game cases and movie cases that were lined up and neat. A few pairs of shoes were near the entrance of the door, but of course, none of the Feavii were wearing any.

Stairs led to the top floor loft. I could see two doors up there, and several planted pots. It was a very open space, making the apartment feel a lot roomier than it really was. I moved farther into the house, away from Yoru and Kiyo. Justuo watched me, and I could feel his curiosity almost smothering out his irritation. Almost. I walked past the couch, finding a door to my left. I looked back to Aki and Fayt. "May I?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course, _devinia_," Fayt said, and I guessed that this was his room. I opened the door. The smell of a damp forest, pine, fresh water, and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on filled my nostrils. Fayt's scent was thick in the air, and I could definitely say for sure that it was Fayt's room. The room was homely. The first thing I noticed was that there was no bed. Instead, a hammock stretched from one wall to the adjacent wall.

Several plants that I wasn't familiar with decorated the room in pots. A used-looking bow lay beneath the hammock, propped against the wall, and trinkets and other little things like books and carvings were scattered messily on a desk opposite his hammock. A picture of a young Feavii boy and two older Feavii that had to be his parents due to the resemblance in their bone structure and Fayt's bone structure hung on the wall near his hammock bed. Another portrait of him and Serein touching one another's lips with their index and middle finger sat beside his hammock on a little dresser that served as a table, too. Kiyo and Yoru poked into the room behind me.

"I think I'm liking the Feavii apartment," Kiyo said with a smile.

"I want to see Justuo's room," Yoru said with a smile that was devilish. I smiled with her.

"Yea, me too," Kiyo said, catching on to her plan. I followed them from Fayt's room, closing the door behind me.

"Let's see your room, Justuo," I said. He shifted his weight on the stairs, and shrugged.

"Come on up," he said. "I'll show you mine and Aki's." I followed him up the stairs and onto the loft overlooking the rest of the apartment.

"This one is mine," Justuo said smoothly as he opened the door. The smell of spring rain in a forest and damp soil rushed through the doorway, thought there was a trace of something else behind it that didn't belong in an apartment in Zephyr. Obviously, this was his room. Inside, there was a bed. The sheets and comforter were messy and wrinkled, having not been made in who knows how long. A book case, small and packed tightly rested near his bed in close range so that it would be easier for him to grab a book from his bed.

A small table beside his bed explained the scent that didn't belong; an incense cone had been burned to ash on the little table. Beside the incense cone was a picture of Kiyo. She was smiling a dorky smile that reminded me of home. I pursed my lips and dragged my eyes away from the gut wrenching sight.

A television, much smaller than the one downstairs, sat up on a shelf, accompanied by another game system. Piles of clothes lay strewn across the floor randomly. Several knives lay on surfaces in easy-to-reach places. An acoustic guitar, much like the one he had in the Human World, was propped up against the wall on the other side of his bed than the one with the table for his incense. At the foot of his bed, on the side with the table, a door was propped open, revealing a bathroom with remnants of showers having been taken that morning.

Posters decorated a lot of the walls with slogans from games, movies, and even places in the Human World. Hot Topic and Spencer's were among them.

"It reminds me of back home," Kiyo sighed beside me. I glanced over and put an arm on her shoulders.

"I know, I was thinking the same thing," I agreed.

"Aki's room is through the bathroom. Our rooms are adjoined by the bathroom," Justuo explained carelessly. We stepped through the bathroom and into Aki's room. Surprisingly, it was very Japanese oriented.

Yoru was prepared for that. His bed was just a mattress on the floor, much like Justuo's. Clothes were scattered everywhere. A soccer ball sat next to his bed, and a stereo was in the place of the television in Justuo's room. Japanese art and other Japanese themes were spread through his room.

"No game systems?" Kiyo asked before laughing. "I was sure Aki would have some kind of game system considering he was so good at them when they play against Rath."

"He probably uses Justuo's," Yoru said with a shrug.

"Are you ready to go?" Justuo asked from the bathroom door frame. He was leaning against it, as if waiting in boredom.

"Yep," I replied with a smile.

"So what do you like about our apartment?" Justuo asked again. His curiosity burned around him.

"I like the diversity," Yoru said.

"I like the fact that it's so individualistic," I laughed. "It's personal."

"So are our rooms at the castle, Kairi," Kiyo teased.

"I know, I know," I said.

Kiyomi's Point of View

Kimi and I followed behind Serein and Hana as they led us down the street to another of Avalanche's apartments – theirs. Kimi seemed completely comfortable around them, but I was a bit uneasy. I wished Yoru had stuck with me, but she wanted to talk to Kairi. And there was no dang way that I was going to go to Justuo's apartment.

We arrived at Serein and Hana's apartment. Serein smiled at me, though I could tell it was a little forced. "Here we are, now, in you go," she said, opening the door. Hana and Serein walked in, and Kimi and I exchanged glances before walking in after them. The living room was neat. Several bookshelves were there, completely filled. A hammock was hanging near the book cases, and I guessed that Hana and Serein liked reading in it. A comfy-looking leather couch faced a big computer that seemed to take the place of a television.

"It's touch screen," Serein said, nodding in the direction of the computer.

"Cool," I said.

"I've always wanted a touch screen television," Kimi said. "I never had the chance to get one back in the Human World, though."

"My computer was a dinosaur compared to everybody else's back home," I said. "We had dial-up."

"Oh yea, that's got to suck," Kimi said. Serein glanced between us.

"I don't understand," she commented. "What is 'dial up?'"

"I'll explain later, Serein," Hana offered. "It's a Human World thing."

"Hmm…Alright then," Serein said cheerfully. "Would you like to see my art room?" The question was directed to Kimi and me.

"Sure," we said in unison before looking at each other and laughing.

She led us to a door on the left before we reached the kitchen that was connected to the living room by an open door. Inside, a canvas was blank and hoisted up on a stand. Paint brushes and paints were near the canvas on a small table. Around the rest of the room, filled canvases hung from walls, stood on stands, and lay on surfaces. It was a very colorful room, and I liked the pictures.

I wandered around the room, looking at the canvases and frames. Some were painted by Serein and some were just collected from artists I didn't know the name of. "It's all so beautiful, Serein," Kimi said in awe as she followed behind me, tail swishing.

"It really is," I said after a moment. "You're really good a painting."

"_Naven, devinii_," Serein replied sincerely.

"What exactly does that mean again?" Kimi asked.

"_Naven_ means thanks in Elvish. _Devinii_ means students," Serein explained.

"That makes sense, because doesn't _devinia_ mean student, as in singular?" she wondered.

"Yes," Serein said knowingly. "Very good, _hasvan_."

"Bed rooms?" Hana asked from the doorway.

"I think that's a good idea," Serein said. "We don't want to dilly dally too long here. The journey's only just begun!" She seemed to dance through the door, but it was just the way she walked on a normal day basis. She was very graceful with flowing movements that always led to the next.

Kimi and I followed Serein up the stairwell and to the top loft that reminded me a lot of Yoru's house in the Human World. Serein opened her door, and I couldn't help but gasp. There were shelves upon shelves upon shelves of the most random of things. Small things, shiny things, little trinkets that glistened in the light, pocket watches, pebbles, rings, diamonds, everything that you could possibly put under the category of "sparkly" or "shiny."

"Holy crap," Kimi said. "You've got so many little trinkets!"

"They are part of my collection," Serein said in a matter of fact tone. I noted that there was no television, but there were lots of pictures of Avalanche and other miscellaneous things like a tree or a pond. One picture was of a river taken from an aerial view. A bridge connected the two sides of the river.

"Did you paint these pictures or take them?" Kimi asked.

"Some of them are painted by others, but the ones of Avalanche are all painted. And I painted the one of the river," Serein replied. The way she referred to the river was as if it were a special place.

"You _painted_ these?" I said in disbelief. "With a paint brush?"

"Yes, of course." She smiled with a shrug as she looked on with us.

"Oh," was all I replied.

"On to Hana's room then?" Serein finally asked. Kimi and I nodded, following her past her hammock that must've served as a bed and into another door. We passed through a bathroom and into a very Japanese-looking room. It seriously looked like someone had taken the designs for and Anime girl's room and built this one.

A pile of clothes were at the foot of a bed that didn't have a frame. A small dresser and desk were neatly placed around the room, one serving as a place to study; I could tell by the text books from the Human World. They were in Japanese though, so I couldn't read them. A book shelf was near the desk holding Manga and other books that Yoru would probably like.

"I like Hana's room," Kimi said with a smile. I remembered Kimi from the Human World always liking Japanese arts and culture, so of course she'd like Hana's room. I did, too, even though I didn't like her at all.

We followed Serein and Hana downstairs and into the kitchen. It was a fair size, about the same size as the one back home. A refrigerator, stove, and sink were scattered variously, and I noticed a pantry to my left. Hana opened it up, glancing back at Kimi and me as she revealed a huge, walk in pantry will shelves filled with weapons.

"Damn," Kimi said. "I thought you didn't need any of these cause you can store in that little reality rift of yours."

"It takes a constant use of magic for her to keep all of her weapons in the rift," Serein explained. "It takes as much magical resonance as it would for her to carry them all with her."

"So I store them here," she concluded for Serein. I was taken aback by how many there were. Spears and swords, shields and plates of armor. It was like walking into the smithery shop in Zephyr where my friend, Riley, and his father sold their products.

"Seems like a smart idea," Kimi said with a smile.

"We keep the food in the cabinets and in the refrigerator," Hana continued. She smiled then, which was strange because I usually saw her glaring at one of the boys or looking thoughtful as she watched everything unfold before her. "It took Serein a long time to get used to the refrigerator. They don't have them in Feywood."

"No need for them," Serein said with a shrug. It was a strange concept, and I couldn't help but smile when I imagined it.

"What do you eat?" I asked, curiously.

Serein glanced at Hana, and they seemed to have some kind of mental understanding before Hana spoke. "They eat lots of plants, and plants don't need to be refrigerated." I had figured that much out, but I didn't say anything else.

Yami's Point of View

I followed Prompto into his and Akira's apartment as soon as I had the choice of which one I wanted to see. Most would think that I'd want to see Justuo's because I've known him longer, but there was something intriguing about the blond boy that was my teacher. Nightmare didn't like him, but I thought he could be a good friend, potentially. I wasn't sure what drew me in. Maybe it was the fact that he was a Human? Not a Sanctian from the Sanctuary, but an actual Human, which, to my knowledge, meant he was from the Human World. Just like us. Just like me.

The floors in the living room were hardwood. A nice, flat screen television was mounted on the wall. A coffee table, and two recliners kept it company. Near them, a work bench that had lots a bullets, gun parts, and other little tools that I could and probably would never be able to name lay askew, but there was a sense of order to the way they were lying. Akira went up the stairs ahead of me to my left. They led to a loft that over looked the living room below.

"I'll give you the tour," Prompto said, waving me forward.

"For a guy's apartment, this place is pretty neat," I said as we walked through past a door to my left and into a neat little kitchen. I noted, though, that the sink had a few dishes in it that must've been there for awhile. I was still impressed that the place was so clean.

"Well take into account that all of Avalanche comes in here to train," Prompto said. "Want a soft drink?" He popped the fridge open and I almost cried at how marvelous all the assorted soda looked.

"Hell yes! Please?" I said, not meaning to sound so whiney. "I haven't had a soda since the day before I came to the Paranormal World."  
"Sure, you can have one," Prompto laughed. How had he gotten these?! I reached in and grabbed a dark soda.

"Thanks," I said with a smile. I glanced around, noting a coffee pot. My mind must have blown, because I was so happy to see it. I hadn't had a good cup of coffee in so long that it made me want to cry. "Coffee?" I whispered, eyeing it like it was a god.

"You like coffee, huh?" Prompto laughed. I nodded, looking at it endearingly. "I can't make it through the day without a cup. I get really cranky without caffeine."

"I know the feeling…," I said, still not taking my eyes off of the coffee pot. "I used to drink so much coffee back in the Human World."

"Oh really? Why not anymore?" he questioned.

"I can't find a coffee pot anywhere in the castle," I said blandly. "I requested to have one put in my new room I'm sharing with Nightmare."

"Well you should've just said so," he chuckled. "I could have brought you some any time." I gave him an annoyed look, and he smiled, shrugging it off easily.

"So how does all of Avalanche train here? It's not really that big, and there isn't any equipment to train with." I sipped the soda before giving him a critical look.

"Here," Prompto replied as he opened the door in the living room. It opened up into a miniature gym with weights, punching bags, and other assorted training equipment. The floor was matted like my old gymnastics' gym was. A place just for wrestling was cleared in the very center.

"Huh," I said. "I guess that would be a necessity to a bunch of buff guys living in an apartment."

"Yea, it's where everyone trains," Prompto said with a shrug before closing the door and waving for me to follow him upstairs. I did, sipping my fizzy soda with careful, measure sips to make it last longer.

The loft had two doors. Prompto opened the first and revealed his room. I found a lot of posters with slogans and sayings from the Human World staring back at me. I felt tears well in my eyes as I saw movie posters from movies I hadn't seen in months. Band posters helped fill in the wall space, too. I bit my lip. CD's and a radio were in the corner on a desk where books, game cases, and movie cases all sat in disarray. A television and a game system of some sort sat in front of his messy, unmade bed.

"My room," he said, moving across the room to another door that was wide open. It led to a bathroom. At the other side of the bathroom, another door was propped open, revealing Akira's room. But I couldn't pull my eyes from Prompto's. It reminded me of home so much that my whole chest ached.

"I like it," I whispered, before swallowing unsuccessfully. "It reminds me of home."

Prompto glanced back at me, unsure whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. I didn't give him the chance. I walked from his room, needing to get away from the bittersweet memories. "Hey, I'm sorry," Prompto called, walking out onto the loft. I looked down into the living room.

"Don't be," I said firmly. "I really do like it."

"But you seem really upset," Prompto said, jutting his finger back at the opened door.

"I just wasn't expecting it," I replied in defense. "I like that home can be brought with me."

"You're sure that's it?" he asked. I turned to him.

"Don't worry about me," I said. "I'm fine. I'll deal. We're dead. I'm not Yami Aki anymore. I'm Yami Reignstriker."

Prompto was silent for awhile. I held his gaze steadily. "Alright then," he said with a shrug. "Do you want to see Akira's room?"

"Sure, but let's hurry. I'm sure the others want to get to the Feywood quickly."

"True," he said before walking towards Akira's room. The door opened before we reached it, and Akira walked from it, carrying a knapsack of some sort.

"Be quick. The other's already have their things," Akira said.

The room beyond was the perfect example of Akira himself; boring, simple, clean, and normal, but it was just a cover to hide the mystery within. A simple bed and a few weights were the only thing that could distinguish it as a bed room instead of an empty room. The only strange thing I found about the room was a heap of blankets on the ground beside his bed, big enough for one of Kairi or Yoru's lions to fit on. Black and silver hairs – or fur more like it – covered it. It was the strangest thing I'd ever seen, but hey, this was Avalanche. Who knew what was going on with them? Maybe Akira had a bed cat or something.

"You ready to get going?" Prompto asked at the doorway. I glanced back at him and nodded, sipping my soda as I did.

"Yea, I think so," I said.

"Come on, then, kid," he said, putting an arm around my shoulders and pulling me from the room.

"Hey, I'm not a kid," I snapped, pulling from his grip.

Kairi's Point of View

"Mommy, was Zephy's house pretty?" Lea asked as Kiyo boosted her up onto her hip.

"It was," Kiyo replied with a smile.

"It probably won't be as pretty as Kiyo's new room with her king," Justuo said under his breath as he passed us. My mouth dropped open.

"Justuo," I gasped.

"Oh no, Zephy's mad," Lea said, clenching Kiyo's shirt tighter.

Lea's words weren't the only confirmation I got from this. A tingle in the air told me his Darkness was biting at his insides, dying to break free. "Kiyo, why don't you go walk with Mizu and Yami?" I asked with a smile in Lea's direction.

"Good idea," she muttered, but her face bore a smile of falseness – for little Lea's sake. Kimi glanced at Justuo's retreating figure. East of Zephyr held open fields of rolling grass and flowers.

"I'm going to scout ahead," he called.

"I'll come with you," Aki said, following after him.

"This should be an interesting journey," Yoru said with a grim smile.

"He better back off," I growled, surprising myself. I hadn't meant to say something so icy cold, but it had come.

_I won't let the little elf boy hurt her,_ Trace snarled in my mind. I shuddered, realizing his influence had caused the harshness in my voice. Interesting was an understatement. Why couldn't Justuo try to keep himself in check?

**Hello, my dear friends, first things first, I want to say that I am MAJORLY sorry for the long wait, and hopefully, this will satisfy you for now. This is just a BETA version of the chapter, and it will probably be changed after it's edited. Thanks guys, you're all the best!**

**~Kairi**

12


	55. Just A Pit Stop

_**~Chapter Fifty-Two: Just A Pit Stop~**_

Zephyr was the only town in the area. You'd think that Zephyr would be in a more heavily populated area, but really, unless you ride out on horses or some form of Spirit Weapon, it's a day's walk in all directions for someone as slow as our group. For Avalanche, they could probably clear Zantia in five or six hours.

To the south and east of Zephyr, open fields stretched far and wide. The grass grew untamed, and wild flowers and other plants grew from the soil with no boundaries or groundskeepers to keep them in shape.

To the northwest of Zephyr, the town outskirts tapered off into looming woods. I'd never traveled through them, and honestly, they had always given me a sense of foreboding. Kiyo had said that they were the woods that Raven had chased her through. I liked them even less for that reason.

The wind blew through the tall grass as our group began our march through the grass. "There are only a few rest stops on the way to Zantia," Prompto was saying. Leah was picking flowers, giving them to members of our group.

"This one reminds me of you, Yami," Leah said, handing her a red flower with black wisp-like veins running through the petals.

"It's very pretty, Leah," Yami said with a smile of kindness. Even Yami, who had never liked children much, was in love with Leah's pure innocence.

"There are run down villages and a rest house every so often that usually offers comforts, but we usually don't stop by them. It just slows us down more," Serein explained, picking up where Prompto had left off.

"We shouldn't have to stop," Yoru said. "We packed food for the trip."

"We can restock in Zantia if we're out by then, too," Kiyo added. She was watching Leah with carefully guarded eyes; it was a funny sight, seeing Kiyo act like a Guardian to a little Phoenix. It made me a bit conscious of my own instincts. I found myself watching my protectants with that same careful eye.

I also watched the surroundings. There were mountains off in the distant east, in the direction we were heading. They were indigo against the pale blue sky. Clouds were scattered in white puffs across the light blue endlessness.

When I found myself with no interest in the direction of conversation in any of the groups, my mind would wander to Lightning. There wasn't much to think on that subject. At first I would churn the idea that we weren't together anymore in my mind. It felt very fake, almost like what had happened between us was a dream of some sort. But when I felt the aching rawness in my chest, I was reminded that it had indeed happened.

When my mind decided my torture could end, my thoughts went to a new direction. What was the Feywood going to be like? Was it going to be anything like I imagined? I felt certain that I wouldn't be disappointed in it, but I couldn't help but imagine how it would feel to actually be in Feywood. Was the air different than Zephyr's air? Would I feel more epic because I was around Feavii? Would we finally be able to understand the piece of Justuo that he was so protective of?

Kiyo's thoughts bubbled into my mind. _Kairi, what did I do wrong?_ My eyes focused on her immediately as I felt a rush of distress. She was looking down, her eyes following Justuo instead of Leah. He was ahead of the group, as silent as ever. His aura was over-powering, showing a high dominance to be the biggest presence there. I shivered.

_I think he's just in a bad mood,_ I consoled. _You know how he gets. He's always had days when he was just a jerk to everyone. This is probably one of those days._

_Yea…but he's usually not an ass hole to me,_ she whispered. I shiver of sadness coursed through her.

_Hey, don't worry about it. It'll be okay,_ I said, giving her a mental smile. She glanced back at me to return it.

_If you say so, Guardian Kairi,_ she replied.

_I do, so enjoy all the pretty sights we never get to see,_ I chuckled. _Might as well while we're allowed outside._ The thought was a little bitterer than I had meant for it to be. She gave me a strange sideways glance before guessing she had imagined the bitterness in my voice – at least that's what I guessed she did.

An hour or so passed that was very eventless. Leah had picked me three different flowers, two of them being pink and one being blue. I had shut them in my diary to keep them from wilting. I walked a bit faster to catch up with Mizu and Kiyo. They were talking about a book from back in the Human World they had both read.

Just then, Leah ran up to me, reaching for me to pick her up. "You want a ride on my shoulders, huh?" I asked with a smile.

"Yes, please, Auntie Kairi!" she squealed. I hoisted her up onto my shoulders with ease, taking her hands after I knew she was secure.

"Mommy, my legs are getting really tired, so Auntie Kairi is going to let me ride on her, okay?" Leah said tapping on Kiyo's head.

"Okay, sweetie," Kiyo said with a smile. Another hour passed with us walking that way. Leah got down, and began to walk around again. I stretched my tense shoulders running to catch up to Justuo.

"Hey, what's up?" I asked, when I felt in step with him.

"Walking," he said, surprising me. Usually when he was pissed at the world, he didn't even talk. And if he did, he usually would reply, "Nothing."

"You seem a bit upset," I said, raising an eyebrow. He didn't say anything. "You want to talk about it?"

"You shouldn't hold it all in," Kiyo said from behind. He didn't turn to look at her approaching figure like I had. Instead, he had sped up, avoiding conversation so easily that it seemed like breathing was harder for him than conversation aversion.

"Justuo," Kiyo breathed, and I could tell she wanted to call it out to him. She sighed before looking down.

"He's got his wand shoved up his butt," Yomi said from near us. She must've seen the entire thing. "He didn't like Ash and Kiyo's goodbye." I clenched my teeth in irritation knowing that practically all of Avi could hear what we were saying. Yomi didn't care though. She knew it, too.

Time didn't seem to exist as we continued forward. The only passage of time that I could hold onto was the sun as it crept across the sky. I remembered when I was living in the Human World how amazing the Earth would be if we didn't use cars and everyone walked to where they needed to go like a lot of people did in The Sanctuary and the Paranormal World. I now realized the inconvenience unless you owned a horse and buggy.

When the sun was overhead, we stopped for lunch. We found a convenient rocky hill where we sat, using the rocks for seats. It felt really nice to sit down after such a long walk. Prompto and Akira, along with some of the soldiers Ash had sent with us, scouted out, making sure there was no trouble.

I pulled my backpack off, and opened it up. My lunch consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, chips, a thermal of beef stew, and a few poffs. Poffs were sweet pastries Ash served at dinner sometimes. I would save the poffs and chips for later in case I got hungry again. Mizu was friends with the cook at the castle, so she had arranged our meals and told him to have them ready this morning for our travel.

Yoru was eating sushi and a sandwich with hazel nut spread on it. Yoru was eating lightly. She did this a lot, especially when it came to training. Mizu was eating a piece of pizza with a side of corn. She also had a cup of pudding with it. She had a bottle of water to wash it down. Mizu wouldn't be caught dead without a bottle of water. Yomi had packed two corndogs, and a turkey sandwich without mayonnaise. Her drink of choice was blue Gatorade. Yami had spaghetti, her favorite food of all time. It was the only thing she had brought besides a poff of her own and a bottle of water. But mysteriously enough, she had had a soda when we were in Zephyr, and I wasn't sure where she had gotten it. I think half of Mpopyya would have killed for a soda, particularly Yami, Yomi, and me. Kiyo had brought a small quesadilla, rice, and a bottle of sweet tea. Kiyo loved Mexican food. Even from the first day I met her, she had always expressed her favoritism to the food. Leah's lunch consisted of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a bottle of juice, and cookies and other tasty sweets.

I watched Avalanche start to unpack their lunches, and found myself very self-conscious. Serein, Justuo, and Aki had their own dish of vegetables and fruits, some that I had never seen and some that I ate every day. No dipping sauce for any of them. Fayt had some strange, blue fruit that I had never seen that he was eating. Hana was eating similar things to Yoru. She had some sushi and a few rice balls wrapped in seaweed. Yoru had let me taste her mother's rice balls one time, and I remembered liking them a lot.

"So you don't eat any meats?" Kimi asked, who was eating chicken and sipping milk.

"No," Fayt physically winced at the thought. I raised an eyebrow at Justuo as he dissected a flower, picking of pieces and laying them among his vegetables and fruits. "Flower petals are really sweet, depending on the type of flower. Some are very bitter."

"Justuo likes the sweet ones," Serein said with a smile. "I prefer the sweet ones, too."

"I like bitter petals," Aki said with a shrug.

"Well I like sweet petals," Leah said from Kiyo's side as she bit into a cookie.

"Could we eat flower petals and survive?" I wondered.

"Some. Humans – or Sanctians for that matter – don't have the same digestive systems as Feavii. Our bodies can eat, and live on, certain plants while your bodies would get sick, or even die, depending on the plant," Fayt explained.

"How fascinating," Kimi said.

"I want to try a sweet petal," Kiyo said. She was looking at Justuo as she said it. He glanced up, only meeting her gaze briefly. He handed her one with no words.

"So these are edible to us?" I said, jumping in to cover any awkward silence that might arise.

"Yes," Justuo said bluntly. Kiyo ate it, and her face screwed up.

"It has a strange texture," she laughed. "But it tastes really good."

"I want to taste!" Mizu said. Serein picked another of the pink flowers, plucking its petals off with ease.

"Do you all want a try?" she offered.

"I do," I said with a smile.

"I'll try it," Yoru said thoughtfully.

"Yomi, Yami?" Serein asked.

"No thanks," Yomi replied.

"I don't think I want to eat flower petals," Yami said with a smile. "But thank you for the offer."

"I want one!" Leah said.

I took the flower petal, and sure enough, it was sweet when I bit into it. "Mm!" I nodded in approval.

"I like it," Mizu giggled. "It's got water in it that's sweet." Of course, Mizu would say something like that.

"I guess it's an acquired taste," Yoru said with a polite smile. She was Demon, so plants weren't her thing anyway. She was more for meats.

"Nothing around here for miles," Akira's voice said from near. I glanced over to his approaching figure. Alarm filled me. He looked like he had just taken a bath or something. His hair was wet and dark, some of it sticking to his face. Water glistened on his cheeks in the sunlight. His clothes were damp, as if he had put them on without drying off first. Avalanche acted as if this were normal.

"Find any good game?" Aki asked as he chewed on a carrot.

"A deer. That should be enough for now," Akira said with a shrug.

I looked at Yoru, and her eyes were very knowing. Her words echoed in my mind from the evening we trained with them. _Akira is different. He's a Werewolf, I believe._ He must've had to hunt down his lunch…And because of the blood, he jumped into a creek or something to rinse it off.

Prompto sat down beside Yami, pulling a soda, a container of meat, and a side of mashed potatoes out of his backpack. So that was where Yami had gotten the soda. We finished off lunch, and started of the way to Zantia again. An hour or so passed with Avalanche going of two-person scout missions to check for danger up ahead. None was found, but one time, when Justuo and Serein returned from a scout mission, they brought interesting news.

"There's a traveling merchant up ahead," Serein said. "I'm guessing he's on his way to Zephyr to find better business than in Zantia."

"A traveling merchant?" Yami asked. "As in some guy that has a cart of things he sells to travelers that he passes?"

"Precisely," Justuo confirmed.

"I wonder if he has anything good," I said to Kiyo.

"There's only one way to find out," she replied.

A few minutes passed, and I saw him coming into our line of sight. He was riding on a horse drawn buggy that was bound to be loaded with all kinds of trinkets and helpful items. It was a good thing Ash had given us each some spare coins for spending money. Looking back on that instant, how easily I said that and the way I phrased it reminds me of a child talking about her father. Was Ash more like a father to Mpopyya (besides Kiyo, of course) than a brother? I didn't like to think so.

The old buggy approached us, stopping to our right. "Hello there, Travelers," he called. He was a young man with an ambitious tone. He had a trimmed beard as red as his hair, naturally red, like from the Human World. His eyes scrutinized us with curiosity, and I guessed that he was a Sanctian that wasn't atoned to seeing a group of Feavii (and an Elf) with a group of Humans (or, to him, what looked like Humans) as big as ours. "I've never met such an unlikely group," he said. His eyes landed on Akira, and his face paled a bit.

"What do you have for sale?" I asked, to distract the poor man who was probably close to giving his horse a good kick and taking off without another word. Akira had that impression of people as he towered over them at a scary seven foot one inch.

"Well," he sputtered. "Some potions from the Feywood, a rarity in these days." His statement sent a shiver of curiosity over me. Why was it so rare to have potions from Feywood? I didn't speak my question as he continued his list in a thick Irish accent that was surprisingly not very foreign to the other worlds. I had heard several people who had Irish accents. Maybe the Irish were originally from the other worlds. "A have some arrows, a few clothing items, several small bows, a sword, but it needs a good sharpening, some knives, some for throwing, some for not, lots of meats and a good bit of pelts, too."

"What kind of potions? What do they do?" Mizu asked quizzically.

"Well, they healing ones help you recover a lot faster. If you fall and get yourself all hurt and whatnot, then you can use them to up your body's recovery time," explained the merchant. "There are also strength potions. They help you if you're feeling tired, or you're starting to lose a lot of strength, like when people use all that fancy magic. People say that it wears a person down, so a lot of the magicians from the castle back in Zephyr buy them. But most of us commoners and entrepreneurs use it to stay awake during long work nights. But the potion can only take you so far." The merchant shrugged.

"It's like an energy drink from back home!" Yami whispered to Kiyo.

"What was that, lass?" the merchant asked, having barely heard Yami's whisper.

"Nothing," I said, with a smile. "What else do you have?"

"Potion-wise?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yes, please," Yomi said. I looked at her, seeing that her interest had been peaked.

"Well, unfortunately, that's all I have at the moment. Like I said, with all this talk of war, the Feywood is on edge. A lot of the people don't like coming out this far." His eyes lingered on the Feywood dwellers in our group. "The few that do usually bring a few things to trade, but recently, even that has been lessening. The kingdom's on edge."

"I see," I said, glancing at Justuo, who was looking past the buggy the man was carting with him. Was Ash keeping the war from his citizens, too? The man had said "all this talk of war" but he didn't say that there had been any battles. Was Feywood smarter than that? I didn't want to think Ash was tricking the whole kingdom. Maybe the man was just stupid; he probably knew what he did from whispers instead of sources.

"I'll take the strength potion," Yami said.

"It'll be two silver pieces, ma'am," the man said. He reached into the back of his cart, pulling from its drawn curtains a glass jar with a cork in the top. A light blue liquid floated and swirled inside it. It looked like something out of the video games I used to play in the Human World. She paid him, and examined it with amazement.

"The Legend of Zelda, all the way," Yoru whispered, and I couldn't help but smile. It had been so long since Yoru had acted like she used to back in the Human World.

"You're sharing that," Mizu grumbled under her breath.

Yami gave her a look that said, "Please! I spent two silver pieces of this!"

"You may want to hold onto that, especially considering you get really weak after summoning lightning," Prompto whispered to her.

"He's got a point," Mizu whispered.

"Mommy, can I get something?" Leah asked Kiyo.

"Do you have any sweet for the little one?" Fayt wondered.

"I do have a few cookies in here," the merchant said, pulling some from his back buggy. "But you don't have to pay. It's just a snack I brought along."

"Really, mister? You're so kind!" Leah said. The merchant hand them to our little Phoenix before smiling at her.

"Anything for a little wee lass like you," he said.

"Thank you," she giggled.

"How much for the arrows?" Serein asked with that charming voice of hers.

"I can give you thirty for two silver pieces," the merchant said.

"Are they Elven made?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, ma'am," he said. "They were made in Zantia by the Zantian Blacksmiths."

"I see," she said, with a smile. "Thank you for your offer, but I don't need any. I have enough to suffice."

"Alright, then, ma'am," the merchant said, but he didn't let the rejection get to him. "Are you coming from Zephyr?"

"Yes sir," Yoru said with a nod.

"Aye, well I wish you luck on your travels," he called giving his horse a nudge with the reins.

"Thank you, sir!" Mpopyya called in various ways.

We continued our walk until the sun began to sink towards the horizon. It was dusk by the time Avalanche started to worry. Leah was on my hip, snoozing against my shoulder. It had been a long day, and we were all getting pretty tired. "How much longer, do you think?" Yami asked Yomi.

"I don't know, but I've had a lot of fun just walking," Yomi said innocently.

"Yea, but you know I'm lazy," Yami groaned playfully.

Mizu popped up from behind them. "It's good for us, anyway. We never get out of the castle."

"I second that," Kiyo said, but I knew she was worn out, too. Hell, Yoru and I were worn down, too. We weren't used to walking so much.

"It isn't much longer," Fayt promised as we continued. The first sight of civilization made my insides jump. Zantia, with several lights that were definitely lit lanterns due to the occasional flicker appeared as we slanted up hill. From here, I could see that it wasn't a huge civilization or even a big town. Even from this distance, there was no doubt in my mind that it was very old, with medieval architecture and cobblestone buildings.

A few long, agonizing minutes later, and we were at Zantia's edge. The lights were flickering flames like I had thought. They cast shadows from their iron lanterns. "I've never been so happy to see houses," Mizu said with thick relief in her voice.

"We'll be staying at the inn up ahead," Serein said. Justuo pulled the hood of his cloak up.

"I'll get us the rooms. Find a place to eat," he said. He turned to leave.

"I think it'd be best to stay together," Akira said. Justuo turned back to look at us. "Besides, we can eat at the tavern down below the rooms."

"That's fine," Justuo said with a shrug. We followed him through the quiet streets that probably were used to bustle from merchants and consumers. "This way."

Justuo led us through the streets to a larger looking building that had warm light spilling in from the windows. He went through the front door, and we followed quietly. The room we found was like a comfy, cleaner version of The Tavern, back in Zephyr where Yoru and I had met Azi. People sat around tables eating and some drinking. A bar was in the left corner of the room, manned by a young man about nineteen or twenty and an older looking girl, maybe in her mid twenties. A piano play in the background, and I located its position on a small, raised up platform on the right side of the room that I guessed was supposed to serve as a stage. A girl was playing a soft, nostalgic tune, filling the room with more warmth. The room was brighter than The Tavern, and it was lit by candles that gave that same flickering effect as the ones that were outside.

Justuo weaved through the tables and people to the back corner of the tavern-like room. "We need a five of your biggest rooms for one night, please," he said to the woman.

"Traveling with a big group this time, I see," she said with a smile. Her voice was kind, and her eyes were brown. Her blond hair was wavy and stopped at her shoulders.

"Yes," Justuo said. "We need a place to stay."

"I have some rooms available. Three beds to a room. They're our biggest rooms. We have six that are adjoined by a door. Is that alright?" she asked.

"That's fine," he replied. "We only need five."

"James, fetch the keys for rooms fifteen through twenty," she said.

"Yes, ma'am," the boy who had been working at her side said before scurrying through a door behind the counter. He came out with five very old looking keys, each with a number engraved into it. Justuo took the keys.

"Thank you, Adela," he said with a prim smile. "Come on." He looked back at me, the closest Mpopyya member to him. Leah was still resting on my arms, he head on my shoulder. Kiyo was close by, watching her warily.

We followed Justuo to the opposite back corner of the room where a doorway lay open. A small hall that held two doors branched off to the right, and straight ahead, a staircase awaited our assent. Justuo started up the stairs, and the rest of us followed like sheep. We were quiet on the way up, taking in the architecture.

The stairs were wooden, like the rest of the place. Wooden walls, wooden floors, and wooden furniture were signs that the theme was obviously older than a lot of the Inner Circle rooms back in the castle. The stairs took a right turn, opening up into another hallway with a rug leading to the hall's end. Lanterns were hung next to doors, lighting the way. We walked down the hall, passing doors one through fourteen. At the end of the hallway, we took a left, and went up another flight of wooden stairs. Our huge group took up the entire width of the hall and stair case. We had to go up the stairs in pairs due to our mass.

At the top of the last flight of stairs, another final hallway stretched before us. There were fewer doors, only eight; four on one side and four on the other. "How are we sleeping?" Serein asked of Justuo.

"You, Hana, and Kimi can share a room. Aki, Fayt, and I can share one. Akira and Prompto will be together, too."

"Leah is sleeping with me," Kiyo said from my side. Leah stirred slightly at her name, but she didn't wake.

"Leah won't take up much room, so Kairi and I can stay with her," Yoru offered. "That way, if any of the guards get tired, they can use the extra bed in Prompto and Akira's room."

"Well thought out, Yoru," Justuo said, and I saw the ghost of his normal smile come out. Maybe he was starting to cool down (finally, considering it had taken all damn day.)

"Well, Yami, Yomi, and I can share a room," Mizu said with a shrug, glancing back at them for approval. Their nods confirmed that they were okay with that.

"Okay, rooms are taken care of," Aki said. Justuo handed out keys to everyone, and we separated. Kiyo, Yoru, and I walked into room sixteen quietly, hoping to not wake Leah.

The room was a fair size with three beds that could hold two people. I realized we were getting a nice treat, having our own room, because Mpopyya could've probably slept in one of these rooms, even if it was a bit cramped. A bed side table adorned each bed, and a small dresser to put our clothes sat in the corner near one of the beds. I wouldn't bother unpacking anything.

"Just put Leah here," Kiyo whispered, motioning to the middle most bed. I felt good about that being her bed in case of an attack. If they came from the window near the bed Yoru had claimed, she'd be safe. If they came from the door near my bed, she'd still be safe.

I gently lay Leah down on Kiyo's bed. She stirred a little, but stayed sleeping. I smiled before dropping my bag and collapsing on my bed. When I hit the sheets, my legs tingled with relief. "Yes, thank the Fates," I breathed.

"Come on, it was just a few mile walk," Yoru teased.

"Please, if you think your legs hurt, imagine how I feel," Kiyo said critically. She had a point. She didn't do as much intense work out as Yoru and I did at the castle.

"She's got a point, Guardian," Yoru said with a teasing smile.

"Yea, yea," I said. "Come on, let's meet the others."

Kiyo had one of the guards stay and take care of Leah in the case of her waking up before we returned. We went downstairs to the tavern part of the inn, following Avi's lead. Kimi stuck with me as

the rest of our group scattered around the room.

I stayed with Fayt and Yoru. Yomi and Kiyo followed after Justuo, Yomi whispering comments about how he just had "his tights in a twist." I watched them warily. I hoped they would be okay…

"He has quite a temper problem," Kimi murmured softly.

"I'm sure he'll be alright," I said but I wasn't sure if I felt as reassured as I sounded.

"Hey, Kairi?" Kimi said after a moment of silence. I looked up at her.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I know that it isn't any of my business or anything, but will you tell me more about your boyfriend?" she whispered. I felt alarmed until I realized she had seen the break down in front of Avi on the day we sparred.

"Well…I mean, you can't really tell anyone about that…" I looked down. "He's not exactly on our side."

"I figured that much out," Kimi said. "With the way everyone acted about it the other day, I guessed that not everyone was allowed to know."

"He's a Vampire," I said softly, not really looking at anything as I spoke. "He's the sweetest guy ever. Blue eyes as vibrant at the oceans depths. His smile is contagious." I couldn't help but smile while remembering his. "I really don't see how he can survive over there. He's so different than everyone in that hell hole." My smile faded. "We met the most unlikely way. He had been sent to kill us. I lied to him, and he led me to Ash, who was being held captive at the time." I was remembering it all, and so I told her. Everything that had happened, just like I had told Yomi as it happened. Just like I had told Yoru. Just like I had told Mizu and Yami. Just like Justuo. Now that it was over, I didn't see the harm in telling Kimi, too. She seemed trustworthy with the secret anyway. I told her about our recent break up, and tears were brimming my eyes by the time I was done.

I looked up to see her reaction, wondering what she thought of him after that. (This piece is not complete. Kimi is still piecing her part together, and it will be updated at a later date. Sorry to all Lightning x Kairi fans. ~Kairi)

* * *

The tavern was quiet, glowing softly with the flicker of candles as we sat at a table near the bar. Avalanche seemed very comfortable, chatting with Adela and James. She mentioned having some of Fayt's berries that he liked so much, too.

They must've come by often if she knew so much about them. It was the midpoint between Zephyr and the Feywood, so of course they would have come often. Akira was eating a very rare piece of meat while Justuo, Aki, and Serein ate a vegetable stew. Fayt continued to eat the strange blue berries that he loved so much.

I chose to eat beef stew, not sure what else they would have had. Yoru got the same thing Akira had, but her's was cooked all the way. Yomi had a hard time finding something to eat. She ended up settling for a turkey sandwich that she had to personalize. I knew Justuo was biting back comments like, "What do you think this is, Subway?" and I thanked the Fates that he restrained himself. He was probably in a foul enough mood to have said them, so I was impressed when he held his tongue. Kiyo and Kimi had chicken roast; Mizu and Yami had potato soup. I was sure if I liked the sound of that. Hana was chewing on some kind of roast I wasn't familiar with while Hana decided on fish.

After a little while, the crowd got a little rowdier. The music became a little less lax, and people started to drink their troubles away. Avi got a little closer to Mpopyya members, fearing that some old pervert would try to make a move.

Around what I guessed was eleven o'clock, Kiyo and I were talking when a scruffy looking guy come sauntering up to the bar. He sat on the stool next to me. I didn't even notice him, too deeply engrossed in the conversation I was having with Kiyo about the Human World. We were choosing our words carefully, just in case sensitive ears were listening.

It wasn't until I felt a tap on my shoulder that Kiyo and I really noticed the guy. He had scruffy green hair that was very tame, and his eyes were slightly glazed over and his face portrayed a very cocky, lazy grin. "Hey ladies." His breath reeked of alcohol.

"I'm sorry, but I don't talk to strange men," Kiyo said sternly before her eyes focused back on my face.

"I'm not strange. If anyone is strange, it'd be you," he replied with a nod in our direction. "You are not from around here. You have the fancy clothes that most people from Zephyr have." His outfit consisted of boots and a tunic of sorts that looked like something Link would wear from the Legend of Zelda. On the other hand, Kiyo and I both wore comfy pants and converse. I had a short sleeved, lace trim short on while Kiyo wore a thin sweater.

"Even your hair is weird," he said, but he showed no disgust. "Pink? I haven't seen that color around here in some time."

"Ignore him," Kiyo barely murmured. I guessed he was a Sanctian due to the fact that he didn't seem to hear her statement.

"Not that weird is bad. I like different sometimes," he said with a shrug, leaning a bit closer. I felt the impulse to smack him in the face, but it drained when I heard Justuo's voice from near.

"They aren't available." He sounded like he had imbued lead into his voice. I shuddered, and I automatically turned to see him walking closer, hood up.

"They're a little too young for your taste anyway," a new voice said, and I was surprised to hear Lancer down here. He came to my side, taking my hand. Justuo automatically put an arm around Kiyo's shoulders. I felt her surprise, but she hid it well.

"I like young," the man said, but he had clearly taken the hint. He shrugged before turned that lazy grin at us again. "Too bad. Maybe next time, ladies."

"Highly unlikely," I retorted. He kept on with that lazy grin before he turned and left us. Justuo pulled his arm from Kiyo's shoulders before turning to walk away.

"Hey!" she called. He turned slightly, but offered no reply. "Thanks."

"Sure," he said. "It's my job." Ouch. I could feel that burn and it wasn't even directed towards me. She was upset before he could even walk any farther. Lancer let go of my hand.

"Thanks," I whispered.

"I'm always here for you," he replied.

"Kiyo," I said, walking to her side. She didn't look at me. "Come on, let's go upstairs, hon."

"Lea will stir if she's alone for much longer," she sighed. Seeing my strange look, she shrugged. "I guess it's a Phoenix thing. We can sense when we're alone. We don't like it."

I said a farewell to the Mpopyya members that we passed, explaining that we were tired and wanted to get to bed. Yoru promised to be up not long after us. I had a feeling that Mizu was trying to talk Fayt into ordering her an alcoholic beverage. Hopefully, Justuo would take care of _that_ little issue. Mizu was one year younger than us all, and she most definitely didn't need to be drinking alcohol at such a young age.

When we got to our room and relieved the guard watching Lea, Kiyo didn't even hesitate to undress and get into pajamas. I did the same. We didn't really talk. I bit of irritation flooded me. Justuo didn't have the right to make her so upset on a trip she should be enjoying. I was going to have to confront him about it if he didn't shape up by tomorrow morning.

"I'm completely exhausted. It has honestly been a really crappy day, and it has nothing to do with the actual events. But Justuo's being a real jerk," she sighed.

"Let him be," I huffed, plopping down on my bed. "He'll get what he deserves tomorrow if he hasn't lightened up. I'll get Yoru to help me put into place."

"Please, Kairi," Kiyo said, actually laughing. "I don't think that even Yoru could take Justuo when he's really irritated like he is." She scooted into the bed, gently, hoping to not wake Lea. I lay down that night, my eyes heavy, but I was too exhilarated to sleep. Yoru joined us ten minutes later, but Kiyo was already sleeping by the time she came in.

"How are things down there?" I whispered.

"Mizu is beyond hyper, and Yami is trying to calm her. She and Prompto seem to be keeping her in check, thank goodness. Yomi went to bed when you guys came up," she said, shrugging out of her jacket and slipping on pajamas.

"Of course," I said, smiling to myself in the darkness of the room.

"I saw Justuo's little fuss," she said as she lay down on the other side of the room in her bed.

"Yea, he's still being a baby," I muttered.

"Isn't he always?" she teased. "I'll see you tomorrow, Guardian."

"Night, Yoru," I whispered.

The morning light trickled through the window, stirring me from my sleep. I sat up, turning to take in the scene that was left from last night. Kiyo was still out cold, her soft snores giving the room a warm comfort. Yoru was sitting on the side of her bed, watching the window like a hawk. The sun had just began to peek over the mountains in the distance; the sky was a light orange. She must have been up for some time. She showed no sign of weariness.

I stretched, whispering a soft 'good morning' to her. She glanced back and smiled. "We'll have to wake Kiyo and Leah up soon," she murmured. My eyes landed on the little girl curled up next to Kiyo. She was tucked beneath one of Kiyo's arms like a little duckling in the care of her mother. I smiled to myself before standing.

"I know," I replied. "I'm going to go check on the boys." I didn't bother dressing to leave the room. I didn't stop to consider the fact that Justuo and Aki both had a perverted nature. It didn't matter anyway.

I stepped from the room, pulling my cotton robe closer around me to fight of the slightly chilling air in the hallway. The old Inn was very quiet, and I assumed that Mpopyya was still asleep. I had no way of telling what time it was or anything, so I just shrugged off the early morning tired feeling.

I knocked on the door down the hall from ours. Seconds passed before it opened to reveal Justuo, dark haired and solemn. He was dressed already, and he seemed to have been up for quite awhile. "Hey," I said.

"What's wrong?" he asked, assessing my appearance and then checking the halls for any danger. As always, Justuo was on guard, ready to take out any danger, but was it so strange for me to come to him in the morning to see what was going down today? Apparently, he hadn't been expecting me to.

"Kairi, what's wrong?" he asked again, this time a little more tense. I snapped from my thoughts.

"Sorry, I was only thinking," I replied. With a quick scan of his emotions, I found that Justuo was still in a sour mood from yesterday's events.

"What do you need?" he asked. On any normal day that he wasn't being a baby about things he couldn't control, he would have sounded concerned, even caring, though he never liked showing that side of himself.

"I was wondering when we will be leaving Zantia for the Feywood," I said with a shrug. Just being near Justuo, I could feel waves of negativity rolling off of him, and it was surprising that he seemed so composed on the outside. Why was he dragging this on for so long?

"Soon," was his short reply. "Wake the rest of Mpopyya. We need to get moving."

"Hey, who's at the door?" I heard Aki call from inside. I saw him moving closer to the door from behind Justuo. Aki peered around Justuo's figure, his artificially dyed hair looking vibrant in the dully lit hallway. "Oh, it's you." His voice turned flirtatious as he raised an eyebrow at me. I gave him a bland stare before turning to leave.

"Bye, Aki," I grumbled. It was just in his nature to act that way. I made my way back to my own room, needing desperately to dress and get ready. I should've guessed that Aki would say something along those lines.

Kiyo was grumpy when she woke, but she softened up when Leah commented on how she should be happy because she was with all her friends. Mpopyya and Avalanche were dressed and ready by nine – a record time considering a third of Mpopyya liked sleeping in (Mizu and Kiyo, mainly.)

We bid farewell to our guards that had escorted us this far, having them promise to make sure to tell Ash we were okay. And with our bags packed, we set off for Feywood again.

* * *

**I wanna thank my friends that continue to read despite my tiring delays, and I want to thank my really devoted fans (and fellow publishers) for giving me inspiring pieces and moments, whether they're couple moments, angst moments, or even just something random for always having my back. Thank you!**

**~Kairi Fatewin**

**PS: To all that wonder what that little number at the bottom is, that's how many pages it was in the Document as I wrote it in Word. Anyway, ENJOY PLEASE~!**

12


	56. The Edge's Guard

**Okay, guys, here we go. There's another twist in here that no one was really expecting, but for now, just go with it. Azi's character is in the middle of being turned into a larger character, so if there's any confusion, just ask. Please enjoy~**

* * *

_**Chapter Thirty-Three: The Edge's Guard**_

In the Tavern below the inn, Justuo waved to the bartenders, saying a few curt goodbyes before heading towards the door. Yoru and I exchanged glances as the rest of the group followed after him, Kiyo a bit more reluctant.

"He's so irritating," I mumbled. "Would it kill him to smile every once in awhile."

"Hey, you!" I heard from behind us. It was a familiar voice, and I smiled once I recognized who it belonged to.

Azi, her dark hair as choppy as ever, was working her way towards us through the crowds, obviously having come from the bar. "I thought it was you two last night," she said, not that it sounded like she was happy to see us.

"You get around," Yoru commented.

"Yea, well, it's only because Spark convinced me to come with him," Azi said, shrugging. "I'm really surprised to see you so far from the castle."

"We're actually on a trip to Feywood, if you'd like to join us?" I offered, a pleading smile on my face. She seemed a bit taken aback by the offer.

"I don't think it would end very well, especially if your brother is traveling with you," she replied after awhile.

"No, it's just Mpopyya and Avalanche," Yoru said with a knowing smile.

"I couldn't skip out on Spark anyway," Azi said with a shrug.

"He could come to," Yoru offered. Azi looked a little uncomfortable at that.

"I'm sure Avalanche would love the pleasure of seeing you again, anyway," I said, lightly. "They were fond of you."

Azi seemed to be in deep though. _"Why not take the chance to travel?"_ Azorroth added, and I jumped in surprise when he lifted his head from her shoulder. I'd forgotten that the snake wasn't just a fashion statement. I was so used to seeing Azi with the snake around her neck that it was just a part of who she was. It was easy to forget he had a mind of his own.

"Hey," another voice joined the crowd. "If it isn't the hero girls." Spark's teasing comments towards Yoru and I seemed to snap Azi out of her thoughtful state.

"Hey Spark," Yoru said.

"What brings you to Zantia?" he asked, much like Azi had wondered the same thing.

"Traveling to Feywood," I replied with a smile.

"Oh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow before glancing at Azi. "Why don't we follow along, just for old time's sake?"

"I'd go," Azi said absently. "But I'm not so sure I should."

"You should," Spark and Azorroth said in unison.

"Kairi? Are you and Yoru coming or not?" Prompto called from outside. Yoru and I exchanged glances before looking at Azi, a bit of hope in both our eyes.

"Fine," Azi replied with a shrug. "Let's be on our way." She retreated back to the bar, returning with her blades. I also noted that she had ordered a bottle of alcohol to go. I smiled to myself, realizing she was actually coming. Then it kind of hit me.

I felt a thrill run through me, happy to have Azi coming with us. She seemed like the kind of person that didn't like people, but I felt that Yoru, Azi, and I could be friends. Well, maybe one day. "Friends" was a bit of a stretch.

We left the tavern, meeting up with our group, all of which casted curious glances as Azi and Spark. "Yoru and I thought that it would be okay for Azi and Spark to join us," I said sheepishly. "It'd be a chance for us to get a little closer."

"Of course," Fayt said that kind tone of his making everyone feel a bit more comfortable. Even Justuo seemed to warm up a little, but he didn't show it. Only his emotional flow was proof.

"I don't do bonding," Azi said. "But I'd like the journey, and hell, I'd even like the company. You guys entertain me," she said with a small smile.

"Glad to hear it," Aki chuckled. "It's a long walk to Feywood, and I'm sure you'd help with keeping these kids in line." His joke sent agitation through the emotional balance, something I found hard to block out.

"We are not kids," Kiyo seethed.

"Seriously," Mizu and Yami said, one crossing their arms and the other putting her hand on her hip, respectively.

"Sure, sure," Prompto called, but I can tell he's happy to have Azi with us. The two seemed to get along the day we all trained together.

"Let's get going," Justuo called out, sounding stout again. He started walking forward again, and as the rest of the group moved forward, Azi turned to Yoru and I with a raised eyebrow.

"Is he angry I'm coming with you guys, or something?" she questioned.

"No, he's just in a really pissy mood," Yoru offered.

"Don't take it personally," I added, glum that her would still act like a child after so long.

"If you say so," Azi said. She tipped her bottle up, taking a swig before continuing forward.

"That's Azi for you," Spark chuckled.

The streets of Zantia weren't very busy just yet, and I could tell by the warmth of the morning that today was going to be a really hot day.

Near the edge of town, I noticed something that surprised me more than I thought it would. Near a store, a saw a slender, young woman with silver hair that was braided in a way I'd never seen. The braid fell to her waist. Beside her, a boy with lemon yellow hair that seemed messy from this distance stood beside her. He was much shorter than her, and I noted his feet were bare. Both were painstakingly attractive.

On impulse, I grabbed Justuo's shirt sleeve and pulled on it. He glanced over at me, a hint of surprise in his eyes that I had dared to touch him when he was so irritated. "Are those…?" I began pausing to reword my sentence before continuing. "Are they from Feywood?" I whispered, worried they would hear me if I had said it too long.

Justuo's gaze followed mine, and I heard Fayt chuckle. Surprisingly enough, even Justuo smiled. "Yes, he's a Feavii and she's an Elf," Justuo said.

"Aye, I could've told you that," Azi said from near me.

"She's so pretty," Mizu groaned. "Why can't I be that skinny?"

"Shut up, Mizu," Kiyo chastised. "You're beautiful."

Rather than listening to their back and forth comments of beauty and security, I watched the pair. "I thought that Feavii and Elves and Fearies didn't leave the Feywood," I muttered. I glanced to Azi, and added quickly, "Well, most of the time."

"They do sometimes. But not a lot. Most try to cover their ears if they do," he said. The Elf's ears were definitely not covered. Before I could ask, he continued. "This city is the closest one to the west of Feywood, so every so often, they will travel out here." I nodded.

"What for?" I asked, looking up at him again. He watched me carefully, and for a second, I thought I had asked something really stupid. He sighed before shaking his head. He continued to walk without saying another word. Yoru and I exchanged glances at the strangeness but didn't voice our thoughts. I noticed Kimi shaking her head, almost to herself as her gaze followed Justuo.

We were out of Zantia twenty minutes later. The traveling continued, the fields becoming increasingly less level as it did. By midday, when we stopped for lunch, we were on top of a hill over-looking a small valley-like area about ten feet down the gentle slope.

Lunch consisted of bags that Adela had packed for us. We didn't complain, because option number two was having Avalanche and Azi hunt for us, which involved gutting, skinning, and lots of bloody organs that I would have rather not seen, and that was nothing compared to how much I'd rather not expose my friends to it.

After a thirty minute lunch break, we were on the move again. Our flat plains rolled into hills as we continued through the sunny day. Patches of trees and larger plants and boulders that rivaled the size of cars started appearing. A path became evident beneath our feet, worn by the many soles that had passed over it. After awhile longer, the path became less trodden, as though fewer feet had wandered here. I started to feel like this wasn't much of a road anymore so much as a known trail through the wilds.

Avalanche members would stop and study the ground periodically. They were tracking, I think in hindsight. Justuo and Akira seemed to study the tracks longest, and even Azi would pondered over some of the prints in the mud and dirt. I guessed they were good at it, but I didn't know for sure.

"What're you looking for?" I finally asked. Justuo glanced up from a strange-looking print in the soft mud.

Aki, who was close to him, spoke before he could. "Sometimes bandits like to hang around the path to Feywood. It's easy to pick people off if they're traveling alone, or even in small groups."

"It's a good thing we have a big group," Kimi pointed out.

"I don't think a group of bandits would be naïve enough to take on such a large group, but you never know in these times," Spark comments.

"He's right. Even the toughest enemies can be taken down by sheer number," Azi said, taking another drink from her bottle.

"Unless you know what you're doing," Aki said, teasingly towards her.

"Isn't that the truth," she replied with a smile.

"Despite the odds, I'd still keep a keen eye," Prompto commented. "Probably best if we scout out ahead."

"Hana, you go," Justuo said.

"No, I think you should send Akira. He wants to stretch his legs anyway," Hana replied, glancing towards Akira.

"Fine," Justuo said with a shrug. "Keep your senses on high alert."

"Of course," Akira said. He and Hana started off. Surprisingly, Leah followed after them.

"Leah, come back," Kiyo called, a bit of tension in her voice.

"No, she can come," Prompto said, smiling down at her as she pulled on the bottom of his shirt – her way of saying she wanted to be carried.

"Mommy, I really want to go with Uncle Val and Uncle Kiki," Leah said, looking over at Kiyo.

"No, I don't think that's a good idea," Kiyo began, but Justuo cut her off.

"It'll be good for her to have a bit of fun anyway," he said. There was a double meaning in his words that I only caught in the flow of emotion around me. Something was up. Justuo's eyes met mine for a moment's time before they returned to Kiyo, who was about to protest even farther.

"I think it would be okay," I offered. "She's probably getting bored of sitting on your hip all day." Kiyo's face showed hesitation before it became flushed with fierceness.

"You better take very good care of her, or I'll hurt you ten times worse than everything she experiences before you die a painful death." I shivered, feeling a bit wary of Kiyo's intense devotion. I almost stepped backwards. Even Justuo's face showed surprise before it vanished into his normal blank mask.

"Damn," I heard several people mutter under their breaths. I distinctly picked out Azi and Mizu from the whispers.

"We will," Prompto said, having taken a step back.

"Mommy, calm down," Leah said. Her blond hair blew in a soft breeze as I felt the emotion in Kiyo sinking down. That wasn't the only thing I felt, either. A small, fleeting Darkness hid under all the intensity; a small bit that was so minute that I almost wrote it off as my imagination. But a twist in my gut told me that there was more to it.

"Be careful," Kiyo said, her face softening to something gentler.

"We will," Prompto repeated firmly. He lifted Leah onto his shoulders. She turned to wave at us, calling out goodbyes as they moved through a few trees off the path.

"Note to self," Azi said. "Don't mess with little kids around Kiyo."

Kiyo turned a smile towards Azi. "I love kids. I feel really protective over them. Sorry about that," she apologized sincerely.

At that point, two things were bothering me. The first one was the fact that Hana had said something about Akira wanting to stretch his legs. I found this odd, especially considering our group had been moving all day, on foot. Why would he need to stretch his legs if he'd been walking all day? The second thing nagging at my mind was that minuscule bit of Darkness I'd felt in Kiyo only moments ago. Kiyo wasn't in tune with Darkness, nor could she even be near it, much less hone its ability and use it. Instead of voicing the issues, I kept my mouth shut as the next even unfolded.

"You don't have to act so high and mighty," Justuo said, detouring the lightened mood. I bit my lip, knowing who he'd directed the comment to.

"I'm sorry?" Kiyo asked, her eyes narrowing at him.

"We know you're the queen of the Paranormal World, but that doesn't mean you can control your friends," he replied, stopping to turn and face her.

"I don't try to!" she exclaimed, her face flushing. "I don't trust many people with Leah, especially after everything she's been through!"

"You don't trust me with her?" he challenged. A spark in the air cracked near him, and I could sense he was about to let the Darkness he controlled speak for him.

"I never said that," she argued, shaking her head.

"I think you need to chill," Mizu said towards Justuo.

"This isn't your fight," Aki said calmly, but it was obvious Mizu's input was bothering him.

"I think we should just drop it, guys," I said quickly, stepping forward.

"Are you siding with him on this? You know how much Leah means to me!" Kiyo said in her accusatory voice.

"That's not what I meant!" I said, tentatively.

"Calm down," Yoru said, placing her hands on her shoulders. "We've all had an exhausting travel, and everyone is a bit on edge. Let's just finish this journey off with no more fighting."

Yoru, like she always did, had a charm to her that made people listen. Justuo turned abruptly, marching forward. Flames licked his fingertips, but they were barely noticeable. Kiyo crossed her arms, and started forward, too. I, once again, exchanged glances with Yoru before looking back at Yami and Yomi. They looked a bit bewildered, and even Azi was surprised at the outburst. Mizu wore a look of irritation, but she kept her mouth shut. _Good,_ I thought to myself. _I can't keep doing damage control with these people._ Kimi, looking thoughtful as her tail swished, moved forward, looking after Justuo's retreating figure like I often found her doing. It was like she was analyzing something.

Our group began our move again. Soon after, Fayt fell in step with me. I glanced at him before offering a smile that probably looked tired. "I notice you like keeping peace," Fayt said.

"I hate when my friends fight," I replied, shrugging. "I used to have to worry about it all the time." A memory of Yoru and Kiyo fighting one another flashed in my mind, and I shivered without warning. I watched Justuo's back as he continued steadily forward.

Fayt followed my gaze. "He's in a foul mood, _devinia_," he sighed.

"I've noticed," I said with a bit more venom than I had intended to.

"It has been a long time since he has let the Angel out. All that Darkness is hoarding itself inside him. After awhile, it builds until it bursts. With no outlet for all that Darkness, Justuo's been forced to hold it all in. I fear he will break soon, though." There was a dark edge to Fayt's voice that usually was never there. I glanced up at him, worry filling me.

"No," I said. "Not with Kiyo so close." It came out as a fierce whisper. Fayt met my eyes with his icy blue ones.

"Avalanche will take care of him if it goes that far."

"I'll help," I declared firmly.

"No, _devinia_," Fayt said gravely. "The Angel is a force to be reckoned with." I felt a shudder run through me. I'd never seen Justuo in Dark Angel before, and I had mixed feelings about it. Part of me screamed that Kiyo should never see him in that state. Another part longed with curiosity to see the part of Justuo that he hid from us. A smaller, deeper part of me was fascinated by the mere thought of Justuo and Trace sprouting wings. I didn't like that part of me. A rustle in my mind caught my attention.

_Interesting,_ Trace chuckled in my head.

_No, it isn't! Stop snooping through my thoughts!_ I growled a response to him.

_I just listen,_ was his innocent reply.

_Well stop. Leave me alone for now._

_Very well,_ he said as if he didn't care. He was gone, just like that.

"Kairi?" Fayt asked.

"Huh?"

"Are you alright, _devinia_?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yea, I'm fine," I said with a smile.

After that, it was hard to stop worrying about Justuo's instability. Fifteen minutes passed before we were climbing a sloped hill surrounded by large boulders and trees on both sides. He froze then, as did the rest of our group.

"What's wrong?" Yami asked, looking around. When no one answered, she kept quiet. A breeze blew in, and Kimi's ears twitched.

"I heard something," she said, turning towards a patchy forested area to the right.

"So did I," Yoru agreed.

"Me too," Yomi whispered.

An uneasy feeling settled over me. Aki's words echoed back to me. "Sometimes bandits like to hang around the path to Feywood. It's easy to pick people off if they're traveling alone, or even in small groups," he had said.

_ Bandits like to settle in these parts because it's easier for them to mug stray travelers,_ I thought to myself. _What if that's what's going on?_

The silence that fell after could have broken eardrums. It was a heavy silence that was only broken by the wind's rustle in freshly grown leave. A painstakingly long time passed before Justuo's voice shattered the eerie silence. "Go on and show yourselves." It was louder than an inside voice.

I saw Azi and Spark tense in unison just as a gruff chuckle filtered through the trees. I immediately swept backwards, putting a few steps more between Kiyo and the ominous chuckle. Yami and Mizu stood behind me, too, but Yoru took my left side while Yomi flanked my right.

"Who are you to throw around such powerful words?" a rough voice asked. It sounded as if he had a scratchy throat that needed clearing.

"I'll be your end if you do not show yourself," Justuo said, voice grim as death itself.

"So cocky is he that plays Guardian," said another voice, just as rough and scratchy as the first. Two shadowy figures emerged from the woods, and I could see more behind them, placed in random areas along the rough rocks and trees. There had to be at least sixteen of them. Some had swords while others had daggers. I pushed Kiyo and my other protectants back farther.

"Hand over your goods, and we'll let you go, free handed," said the second voice. He was short and lanky with a mask covering his nose and mouth. His hair was so grime-coated that I couldn't make out its original color. The rest of his attire consisted of torn, ragged clothing that was dirty. All of the bandits were dressed along these lines. Ironically, they reminded me of ninjas because of their face masks.

"Hold," said the first voice, the one in charge, I guessed. "I know you kiddies."

_Kairi, it's not worth it. Act dumb, like you don't know what he's talking about and he will probably leave us alone,_ Kiyo whispered in my mind. I held my breath as everyone, including Mpopyya tensed. Several Avalanche members seemed to take a fighting stance, just slightly shifting. Azi wasn't so quiet about it, and I had a feeling she was biting back some remarks.

Justuo switched his stance to a more aggressive stance as though he were beckoning the bandits for a fight. The air around us became electrified with a dark ominous cloud. Kiyo shivered. He was angry, very angry. A disturbing wave of fury pelted me, and it was hard not to be angry, too. "You go out of your way to attack a traveling group of young girls and their keepers?" he questioned the bandits. And there is was. A sick, god awful feeling that would make the heavens cry out fluttered through the air. Darkness pooled around Justuo, not quite tangible to the eye yet. But oh god, it was there.

Azi shifted, also feeling the change in the air. I wonder silently in my head if she had ever encountered any Dark magic before. Then again, she was much older than us. She probably had.

A snicker reached my ears from where the head bandit stood, eyeing my friends close behind me. Kiyo whimpered, and I had the strong desire to get rid of the Darkness to ease her pain and discomfort. Unfortunately, I didn't know have a way. I didn't know Light. I ground my teeth as the tension shimmered, the air practically pulsing with Justuo's mood and Darkness. "You are a fool for challenging us. I've seen these children plastered on the news. These are the King's personal packages. They _must_ be worth something," the crackled voice said. This time, I shivered.

"Aki," Justuo growled, voice as animalistic as a wolf. I shuddered at the warning-like sound in his voice. Aki moved closer to Mpopyya. Kimi did the same.

"I warn you; Justuo is about to end those bandits. It won't be such a pretty scene," Aki murmured.

"He can't!" Kiyo said frantically.

"He can," Aki replied firmly.

"I'd advise you to look away," Serein said with haste. I held my gaze unwaveringly. Throughout the warning Aki had delivered, Justuo and the bandits had been bantering on.

"Very well, then. Time," he paused to look over his shoulder at me, eyes dangerous and filled with a fire I had not seen in my Sensei, "to teach you a lesson, Kohai."

Hana had pulled kunai from the air and threw them. In a heartbeat, Justuo vanished in wisps of darkness and reappeared, holding the kunai in a bandit's chest. A loud, thunderous yell emanated from my Sensei's mouth in his fury and lust for the blood he had spilt. I jumped at the ferocity he displayed.

Was this the face of a true enraged Feavii? Or the face of Justuo when he didn't hold back? He pulled the kunai out of the man's chest, all but blurring out of my vision with the amount of speed. The bandit crumpled to the ground in a ball as blood poured from his chest. The kunai flew again and he was gone.

They landed into the next bandit's chest just as more came crawling from the woods. Justuo appeared before the bandit, ripping the kunai from his chest. He spun, catching one that was making its way to our group. He slit its throat with the kunai before turning to take out more. Serein released an arrow, and it whizzed through the air until it pierced another of them. Justuo rode the shadow of the arrow before materializing with it gripped in his hand. He broke the arrow's head off into the bandit's chest cavity before taking the shaft and thrusting it under the next bandit's chin.

I felt myself gape in surprise. I peeled my eyes from the scene long enough to look at the rest of Mpopyya's reaction. Yomi hard turned away, Kiyo had flinched at the harshness, and Yoru was analyzing the entire time. Yami and Mizu were too far away to see. Kiyo's eyes flickered with Justuo's figure; her mind told me she couldn't bring herself to look from the gruesome scene.

I looked back at the battle unfolding. Hana demi-equipped a large great sword to Justuo's hand, and I realized that it was the sword he always spoke of, Heart of Rebellion. The sword was massive, but the blade was wrapped in bandages. I guessed it was to decrease any tarnishes on the blade that may come during battle.

Justuo swung it, taking several of the bandits to the ground as he did. He bashed, crushed, and slammed bandits left and right, with little precision. The bandits were a bloody mess, as were the bandages on his sword. Some of the farther bandits that had begun to try and escape were darting back towards the forest.

Justuo swung Heart of Rebellion several times, building momentum before sending it flying through the air. Justuo followed through its shadow like a shark after its prey. With alarming accuracy, it slammed into the bandit, pinning him to the tree in front of him. Justuo jerked it out brusquely, and the shine of metal showed through the bandages. As he began another killing onslaught, the bandages fluttered to the ground.

A strong sense of symbolism made me dizzy. This was Justuo's side he never revealed. Like his sword that was covered in bandages, his true colors were never shown to Mpopyya. It was a haunting realization that caused me to feel disoriented. That and the Darkness was strong enough to make anyone feel light headed.

The cowardice leader was beginning to realize his mistake. He took off running, signaling a retreat for whoever was left. Justuo wasn't allowing that. He pulled a throwing knife from around his waist – something I didn't know he had. He threw it agilely and, following its shadow, grasped it from the air only moments before it hit the bandit. He threw it to the ground and wrapped his hand around the bandit's mouth. The bandit struggled, but he was nothing to Justuo superiority.

"You're going to regret the day you were born," he whispered. With ease, he slid Heart of Rebellion across the bandit's throat. A loud shout echoed through the area. Justuo dropped the bandit, covered in blood from the enemies he had slain. His sword, gleaming in red sheen, faded from his hand, Hana having returned it to her dimensional pocket.

Kiyo's forehead was pressed to my back; her hands were clenched tightly around the tail of my shirt. It was quiet, so quiet after his shout. I waited for someone to be the first to say something, but no one did. Honestly, what would that have said? There were no words for what had just happened.

It would've been much worse had Leah been there. I thanked myself for agreeing with Justuo before, and I had a feeling Kiyo was doing the same thing.

"Let's go," Justuo finally said. He turned from the dead bodies of fallen bandits. There had to be at least sixteen, but I didn't want to count them. I wanted to forget them. He began walking forward, expecting the rest of us to follow. We did, but silence was heavy among us. Even Azi and Spark seemed to have no response to the massacre.

After putting a mile between the dead bandits and our group, I felt Leah's presence growing closer. Prompto and Akira came over hill. Leah was hoisted on Akira's shoulders this time, which was a surprise to us all, I think. When the three were close enough, Kiyo stepped forward, holding her hands out for Leah. Akira and Prompto said nothing, obviously having experienced what had happened through their mind connections with Justuo.

The more I thought about it, actually, the more an idea started to form in my mind. What if Avalanche had known about the bandits for awhile, and that's why they had jumped at any excuse to get Leah away from the group? It made sense.

As the travel continued, the fields became treed areas. The light in the sky began to dwindle. Justuo trudged on in the darkening sky. Kiyo held Leah close, never letting her down to run around. After awhile, I offered to carry her. Even then, she was reluctant to hand her over.

I built up my courage and finally spoke. "Justuo, it's getting late. Maybe we should stop for the night," I said, forcing the timid tone from my voice. He didn't say anything as we continued.

"_Havjetuu_, she's right," Serein finally agreed. "The woods are teeming with beasts that we cannot fathom to fight off with such a disadvantage." I wasn't sure if I was happy that she was backing me up or insulted for calling Mpopyya a disadvantage. I was about to go with the latter when Justuo stopped, and the rest of us did the same.

"It's too dangerous then," I declared, cradling Leah carefully. A long silence passed.

"Fine," he grumbled. "Fayt and I will find firewood. Aki and Prompto can find a place to set up camp. Kairi, you're in charge of starting the fire."

"Of course," I said with a nod. He ran off, then. Fayt followed him quietly through the dusk that was covering the forested area.

"There for awhile, I thought my ear drums were going to bust with all the tension in the air," Azi commented. Spark nodded in agreement.

"Agreed," Yami muttered.

Setting up camp was actually easier than I thought. With all the extra hands, we were settled down with a warm fire just as the sun sank completely below the horizon. I was grateful for Ash's prep help. He had convinced Mpopyya to pack sleeping bags just in case of emergency situations. He had never been more right.

Thirty minutes later, we were sitting around a warm fire that filtered light in a soft, comforting glow. Lancer, Axel, and Archer had come out to help set up camp. Lancer after hugging and counseling me in my mind headed off into the woods to stake out posts. The servants were going to be staying up for guard duty.

"We'll have to hunt for Mpopyya's dinner," Aki was saying. "Is there anyone that wants to help out, gladly come." He had stood after making sure everything was settled. "Justuo has already begun."

"I want to learn," I said, standing. Yoru joined me.

"It's a good time to learn. It could come in handy later in life," Yoru agreed.

"Good, come on then," Serein said, rising to her feet. "We'll teach you the basics."

"I'll tag along," Azi offered. "Maybe I can teach them something they could use."

"The more the merrier," Serein said with a smile.

Kiyo's Point of View

Kairi and the others finally returned from their hunting trip. Avalanche cooked our food, and I admit that it was good for it to have been thrown together in such a quick time. We began to settle down afterwards.

I was sitting beside the fire, listening to it crack and burn. I leaned my back up against the log behind me. I wrapped my cloak around Leah and me. Justuo, Kairi, Yoru, and I were all sitting around the fire, and I found it ironic that it was just us. Kairi sat beside me on the log and Justuo sat across from us. Yoru was sitting on the ground diagonal from Justuo near Kairi. The rest of Mpopyya was scattered around us sleeping. Avalanche was either prowling or out and about, and Azi and Spark were with them. Kimi was among the sleeping Mpopyya members. Yami was leaning on my shoulder and Leah was curled against me chest. Yomi was lying beside Yoru, and Mizu's head was resting on Kairi's leg.

Our servants Ash had made us keep out and alert were scattered around in the trees and forest, watching over us. I felt bad for them, but there wasn't much debate. It was Avalanche and our servants versus us. Might as well let them win this one.

We were almost to the Feywood, but I and some of the other members of Mpopyya needed to rest. Justuo was reluctant to stop, but Kairi, with Serein's help, had had it her way. I was thankful, and so were my exhausted mind and body.

Kairi, Yoru, and Justuo were up keeping watch, even though Avalanche had clearly stated they didn't need to. I should have been asleep, but my mind kept wandering back to when Justuo got angry earlier and brutally killed all our attackers. I knew he was just doing his job, but it scared me because I thought he was going to go Dark Angel. Kairi thought I was stupid, but I could pick up on her anxiety really easily, even if I was trying to keep out of her mind. Plus, Justuo had been avoiding me the whole journey. Which sounded impossible, but somehow he found a way to do it.

Whenever I tried to walk beside him, he would run up ahead and "scout." If he somehow ended up beside me, he would ignore my attempts to talk to him by turning to someone else and talking to them. Now, he made sure to sit as far away from me as possible. I didn't know what was going on.

_Maybe he's mad at me. What did I do?_ These thoughts ran through my head as Justuo flicked his wrist at the fire and it grew. He liked mindlessly controlling it, fluctuating its size and heat.

"Kiyo, you should be asleep," Yoru chided me. Her eyes continued to scan the forest around us.

"I know, but my mind keeps wandering," I said, trying to meet Justuo's eyes. He refused to look at me, staring intently at the flames in front of him.

"What are you thinking about?" Kairi asked me, as she looked at me with worried eyes. I wasn't sure if I should outright say it or if I should just shrug it off.

_I was thinking about what happened with Justuo earlier. It scared me because I thought he might go Dark Angel, _I thought to Kairi.

_Ah. Gotcha. I'll handle this,_ she thought back. I smiled to myself. Kairi was always there for me.

"I guess I'm just scared about the war, because we don't know anything and I'm scared of actually being queen. Like with no more practices, and I have to start to making big decisions that are going to affect the whole kingdom," I said while staring intently into the fire, trying to take control of it.

"I'm sure Lord Ash would inform us if there was shifting in the war," Yoru said, with a hint that both Kairi and I picked up on.

"Yea, he would. Ash would never leave us in the dark," Kairi said, seconding Yoru. There was a light tone that masked something in her voice that I couldn't quite read. I was tempted to check in her mind, but realized that it was wrong. Justuo wouldn't look at any of us, which I thought was strange. "Plus, you're going to be a great queen. If there is anyone fit to be queen, it's you," she said, patting my shoulder.

"Kairi's right, Kiyo. You need to have faith in yourself," Yoru said, giving me a kind smile.

I was about to thank them when Justuo suddenly spoke up.

"Yea, we get it. Kiyo's going to be the greatest queen ever, especially with the all-knowing and perfect King Ash by her side. Their soul mates and all that shit. Can you guys just give it a rest for five minutes?" Justuo said, with venom in his voice.

A long, silent pause filled the air as we all stared at him, shocked. I was hurt by the cruel sounding nature of his words. Before any of us could respond, he stood up and strode off towards the woods, grumbling about doing a perimeter check. Tears were trying to form in my eyes, but I swallowed them. A queen should never cry, especially over words.

"He didn't mean it Kiyo," Kairi said soothingly. "He's just moody. That's all," she continued.

Yoru laughed. "More like jealous," she said.

I gave them the best smile I could muster and said, "I'm fine really,"

They looked skeptical, but they didn't push me. I leaned my head against Yami's and shut my eyes. _He didn't mean it._ I told myself. _Just get some sleep. You've got a long day tomorrow. Think happy thoughts. _

I thought about all the things and people in the Human World that I loved. A few tears slipped down my cheeks, but neither Kairi nor Yoru noticed. I drifted off to sleep reliving past memories.

Kairi's Point of View

When Justuo returned, I gave him the meanest look I could. Yoru helped me out by shooting a glare his way before closing her eyes for a quick sleep.

"What?" he grumbled, still mad.

"You really hurt Kiyo's feelings today with what you said and how you acted," I said, while I glanced at Kiyo to make sure she was asleep. She didn't need to hear what I was going to say. It would just stress her out more.

"She hurts my feelings all the time," he muttered almost to himself. He was really starting to tick me off, and I had to take a steadying breath to keep my emotions in check.

"Look Justuo, you need to get over your petty jealously. Kiyo has a lot on her plate and the last thing she needs is you making her feel worse. If you want to be mad at someone, be mad at Ash or whoever." Which brought another good point up. "You cannot lose control around her like that! Her transformation has been acting up! She's not sleeping well, she's been weak, and she's still recovering from Raven's attack. So, just give her a break," I fiercely whispered to him. He stared at the fire for a long time, and then he nodded.

"I'll apologize to her tomorrow," he spoke while glancing up to look at Kiyo. She was leaning against Yami, lightly snoring. I was happy she was getting some sleep, and I hoped that it was peaceful.

I wasn't sure what tomorrow or the future might hold, but I did know that Kiyo was going to be a part of it, and she was going to be happy about it. I would make sure of it. It was my job. I was her Guardian after all.

I also knew that the next time we had problems with Darkness, I was going to be prepared. I had made a decision earlier today after the bandits had attacked and Justuo had lost his sanity and control of Darkness. We were taking this trip to Feywood for a break, but it was going to be more than that, now.

I, Kairi Fatewin, was going to learn to use Light.

The sound of rustling awoke me, and I almost jumped up in surprise. The darkness of night around me was disorienting at first. The fire cast a flickering light to the campers around. Justuo had finally taken a break from watch duty. He was resting, all the dark lines of frustration free of his face. Fayt was sitting by him, adding a log to the fire.

He noticed my conscious state. "I didn't mean to wake you, _devinia_," he said, sounding genuinely sympathetic.

"It's okay," I said quickly offering a smile. "I wasn't sleeping well anyway." I shrugged, wiping my eyes.

"Is everything alright?" he asked. "You were tossing a bit in your sleep."

Had I really? I bit the inside of my lip, remembering the dream I'd been having. It rushed back to me, surprisingly quickly. I blinked. It had been a dream about Dark Angels. I shivered, and Fayt seemed to pick up that I was a little disgruntled. "Would you like to talk about it?" he asked. The concern on his face sent a feeling of reassurance twisting inside me.

"It was just a bad dream," I replied, watching the fire consume the dead branches.

"If you'd like to talk about it, you can," Fayt offered.

I hesitated. I wasn't sure if I wanted to throw my fears at Fayt. I didn't want to sound like a baby to anyone in Avalanche, but with the way they were about the Dark Angels, maybe it wouldn't be so childish. Dark Angels were things of nightmares, and the sad part was that Trace and Justuo were the only ones that we knew of that had transformed into one. They were a mysterious topic of research to everyone that knew they existed. I met Fayt's gaze steadily, deciding maybe it was time to let my fears be known.

"I'm scared for Kiyo," I admitted finally. "With the way things are going, I feel like she's going to become a Dark Phoenix. There's been too much exposure to Darkness, and it scares me to think that she'll ever be like Raven, or even Justuo and Trace." My face flushed with anxiety as I thought about the possibilities. "I don't want her to ever have to deal with that kind of thing."

"I can understand you concern," Fayt nodded. "Darkness isn't something to toy with."

I paused, making a decision then. "I want to learn Light magic," I concluded. Fayt watched me carefully for awhile. He didn't say anything, and I began to wonder if I had been a little rash to say it.

"You want to learn Light magic?" Fayt finally asked. "That's a bold task." It was a neutral comment, and I held my breath, hoping that he could have answers for me. "I don't know anyone except for Clover that uses Light."

"Are there any records? Maybe there are some in Feywood," I offered, desperate. The images of the nightmare from before chilled my bones. "I have to learn it, Fayt."

"Tobi may have some," he offered rubbing a hand through his hair. "There aren't many records of how people learn Light."

"But there are records of people learning it," I confirmed unable to hide my smile.

"Of course, _devinia_," Fayt said sounding weary. "But you have to understand the difficulty of learning a universal magic. Justuo took a very long time to adjust to using Darkness, and even now, he struggles every day with it. Light is not as corrosive as Darkness, but it will wear and tear the body down much faster than any other magic."

"I understand," I said, but I didn't let the idea of it harming me detour my hope. It wasn't going to be for me, anyway. It would be for Kiyo and my other protectants. Guardians made self sacrifices for their protectants anyway.

"Just remember, Kairi," he said, eyes soft with concern. "Most Humans don't learn universal magic, especially if they're from the Human World."

"I will, though," I said, firmly. I felt his concern in the air, but my own determination and happiness over powered it. It was so strange, this happy feeling I felt. I wasn't sure where it had come from. I couldn't push it away, or even perish it. I swallowed a giggle. It was almost like the kind of happiness I felt around Lightning. You could never stop smiling.

"Kairi?" Fayt asked, unable to hide his own gentle smile. It was an effect of my own emotions, I knew. I shook my head, still smiling like a goofy teenager with her boyfriend. "You should get some rest," he finally chuckled.

"Yea, I will," I said forcing my face to sober. "Thank you."

"You are welcome, _devinia_," he replied with a nod. As I leaned back down I heard a grunt from nearby. Azi thrashed suddenly, and I could tell she was sleeping. Spark, who was closer to her, woke with a start when her hand slapped against his. He blinked in surprise before realizing it had been Azi that had jostled him from his rest.

"Azi?" he asked, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"_Wake her, Spark,_" Azorroth spoke from her shoulder.

"Is she alright?" Fayt asked. I felt her fear, her heart pounding adrenaline, coursing the air.

"She's having a bad dream," I said at almost the same time Spark did. He glanced up at me in appraisal.

"Fenris!" she yelled. I jumped almost a foot in the air at the sudden shrill call. Yoru stirred, jumping to her feet in moments. I could just see Shiroyasha starting to form in her hands. Kiyo suddenly grabbed my wrist tightly. She gasped, her eyes snapping open.

Justuo was on his feet in moments, his tired eyes scanning the area.

"What's going on?" he asked, hoarse from languor. Azi sat straight up, shivering and violently shaking. Her wide eyes scanned our concerned faces. Kiyo was breath rapidly, almost as if she had been trapped in the same dream – or another one that would scare her worse. Her sweaty palm still clutched my wrist. Yoru, realizing what had happened, moved back to her spot near me.

"Azi, what's wrong?" Spark asked. She wiped her forehead with her sleeve, cursing under her breath.

"I'm fine," she said, quickly. Her voice trembled slightly.

"Are you sure?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. My earlier happiness had faded to concern for both her and Kiyo.

"Yes," she said, a bit firmer.

"Azi," Spark said.

"I'm fine," she repeated.

"If she says she's fine, then she is," Kiyo said, surprising me. She met Azi's gaze with her own, and it seemed they shared some kind of moment of understanding.

"I need a walk," Azi said, standing.

"I'll come," Spark said, following her lead.

"Fine," she muttered as she walked by.

"I hope you feel better," I called after her.

"Same," Yoru called.

Azi's Point of View

I walked away from the camp, leaving the fire and everyone behind. I felt everyone's stares on my back as I went. Spark followed me as I headed into the forest. I walked until I felt calmer, which put me about a mile or more away from camp. This dream was like all the others before it, in which I relived the horrors of the day my clan was massacred. But lately, it had been like my dreams were evolving and becoming worse and worse, where I saw my father and mother and Fenris tortured or dying.

This particular one I was forced to watch as Fenris was tortured with Darkness. I didn't know if it was because I had seen Justuo wielding Darkness today and had felt it in the air, but whatever the reason, that had been my nightmare. Even now, I could hear his screams ringing in my ears and whenever I closed my eyes, I could see the image of him writhing in agony on the ground. The image seemed seared behind my eyelids.

My hands had stopped trembling and my breathing and heartbeat slowly returned to normal. Spark followed after me silently as I walked between the trees. He was waiting for me to talk to him, though I couldn't bring myself to tell him the whole truth. I couldn't tell him what I was feeling. I stopped walking as I came across a large twisted tree with tall roots that arced out of the ground.

Stepping over the root, I sat down with my back against the trunk. Spark stepped over as well and sat down beside me with his hands clasped between his knees. I craned my head back, resting it against the tree as I stared up through the branches at the star cloaked sky. Absently, I wrung my fingers as I played with frost in my palms.

"Azi what's wrong?" Spark finally asked. I sighed as I internally cringed. _Here goes_.

"It was just a nightmare Spark...well a memory, but a nightmare all the same. I guess sensing the Darkness in the air today reminded me of when my clan was destroyed. I had the dream where I relive the memory, nothing more, nothing less. I'm sorry that I woke you up because of it," I said. I felt bad that, even though I was not technically lying to him, I was just not telling him the whole truth either.

"It's fine, Azi. Please know that if you want to talk about it, I'm here to listen. I'm sorry about the nightmare," he said, gently putting an arm around my shoulders and hugging me. He was the only person alive that can do that without getting glared at or frozen. I tensed anyway but relaxed and rested my head on his shoulder for a moment.

"Thanks Spark, but it's nothing but a dream. I'm fine. I promise." This time, I was lying, and I think he knew it, but he didn't call me on it.

"Do you want to head back?" he asked

"No, you can head back. I think I want to sit out here and star watch for awhile," I said, shaking my head. He looked at me like he wanted to protest. "Seriously, Spark, don't start becoming the overprotective sort. It's not going to suit you. I have spent almost my entire life in sketchy taverns and unforgiving wilderness. I can survive sitting alone for a few minutes. Besides I have my ebony blades, and I know how to use them," I said, winking. I hoped to lighten the mood some. I could tell it worked as a grin formed on his lips.

"You are right, Azi. I'll see you back at camp," he said, standing and touching my shoulder before disappearing back the way we had come. Once he was gone, I curled up with my knees to my chest. I stared at the star that my brother and I had called ours when we were kids. It was the Hunter's Star, or the North Star as some Human's from the Human World would call it, but we had always called it the Hunter's Star because it was the one constant for a hunter in the wilds. I wondered vaguely if the Human World had the same sky as our own.

Suddenly, a limb broke to my left. I tensed. It was out of place, not a natural sound, and I felt the hair on the back of my neck prickle as if I was being watched. I stood up and drew my sword, flipping the catch and separating it into its two halves. I held them loosely in my hands pointed downwards as I scanned my surroundings.

At first my, eyes passed over it, but then just as quickly, they went back to it. Eyes stared back at me, illuminated in the moonlight reflecting off them in the shadows of some brush and the tree opposite me. As soon as I looked directly at them, they blinked and a shadow detached itself. It shot away into the forest so quickly, I hadn't had time to blink.

"Hey! Get back here!" I shouted sprinting after the shadow. I knew that it was most likely really stupid of me to follow a shadow through the dark forest, but for some reason, I felt like I had to follow; like it was something really important. I ran up a fallen log, sprinting down its length easily while the shadow ran beside it. I started gaining, and as I reached the edge of the log, I jumped. The shadow turned at the last second. My foot barely clipped its shoulder.

I slammed to the ground, rolling, coming to my feet expecting an attack, but the shadowy person got to their feet instead of ensuing me into an attack. Its hood had been knocked back in the fall, and as I started forward, the moonlight shined on the face...or his face, I should say.

I saw, and who it was made me rock back on my heel as if I had been punched in the face. The man staring at me was my brother...but that was impossible. Before I could say or do anything, he turned and disappeared as if he had never been there.

I waited for several moments, unsure of what to do. The crunch of leaves and twigs had long since disappeared by the time I came to my senses.

I headed back towards the camp in a daze almost. What I had seen was just not possible. By the time I made it back to camp, I had written it off as my imagination. Entering the ring of light cast by the fire, I saw that almost everyone was asleep except for Prompto, who nodded from where he sat on guard, and Kiyo, who was sitting, staring into the fire with Leah's head in her lap.

I remembered her speaking up for me and decided to say thanks. I walked over, maneuvering around the sleeping forms of Justuo, who was finally sleeping, and the others to sit down at the fire near her. She looked up and nodded to me as I sat. From her face, I could tell she had been having nightmares, too. _Huh...guess it takes someone having them to spot another one_, I thought to myself.

I once again absently toyed with frost in my handsm manipulating the temperature around them only to drop. The crisps of crystals glowed faintly blue as a frost crawled over them. Leah shifted in Kiyo's lap, and I noticed that she was awake after all. I was not good with kids, but she seemed okay. I took note that she was staring at my hands as I bent the frost to my will.

"That's cool," she said, pointing a small finger towards the crystals. I smiled despite myself.

"Yeah, it is, isn't it," I said before raising my hand, wriggling my fingers at her. Small snowflakes began to fall down around her, dusting her hair with them. She laughed a little, and it made me feel kinda better.

"Thanks for speaking up," I said to Kiyo after a few seconds of amusing Leah with frost and snow.

"Yeah, you had a nightmare didn't you?" she asked.

"Yeah, you do to?"

"Yeah. You want to talk about it?" she asked.

"No, you?"

"No."

We lapsed into silence, both of us staring into the fires flickering flame, losing ourselves to our own thoughts.

Kairi's Point of View

I found myself being jostled the next morning. My senses were groggy, but I was aware enough to sense that I wasn't in any danger. Justuo was the one shaking me. I met his gaze, worried that he would be angry. Instead, his face seemed softer than the night before.

I was about to ask him what was wrong but he put a finger over his lips as if to tell me to stay quiet. He nodded towards the sleeping Mpopyya and Avalanche members around me. Azi, Spark, Kimi, and Leah were among them. Kiyo was still very much asleep. Dawn was just beginning to break across the horizon. He stood, motioning me to follow him.

I nodded in silence before pushing myself up from my nest of sleeping bag and blankets. It was quiet. The fire had died, and a heavy mist had fallen over the forest floor. The air was damp and heavy in my lungs, something I wasn't used to in Zephyr.

He was close to silent as he maneuvered around the fallen branches, roots, and trees. I tried to follow with as much grace, but it was harder than just being sure-footed. You moved like a whisper of wind through the forest. I could tell he belonged to the forest just as much as the forest belonged to him. It was a natural thing for him, almost like a second nature.

Justuo glanced back, a mischievous look in his eye. "You're loud enough to wake the whole forest," he whispered. I was a bit surprised by how light his tone was, but I didn't say any complaints. "Come on, Kairi," he chuckled softly. "Try to keep up."

Justuo quickened his pace, and I followed after, trying to keep as quiet as he was being. "Hey, wait up," I called after him.

"You're so loud!" he said, voice hushed, but there was a smile on his face and a laugh in his voice. "Keep it down."

"You're Feavii! Don't blame me for my lack of speed and silence," I muttered.

"That's an excuse! Come on, _kohai_," he said starting to jog. I followed his pursuit, thanking myself for never skipping too much Guardian Training. He twisted through the trees and dodged the branches as best as I could.

What was he playing at? This wasn't like him, especially since the trip began. I glowing hope coursed through me. Maybe he had stopped sulking and was finally coming to his senses. I couldn't help but smile to myself. The trip might not be as bad as I thought it would be.

As time continued on, my legs grew weary and my lungs began to labor for breath. "Justuo, come on, how much farther?" I gasped.

"Just a bit," he called, louder than before, signaling that we had reached a safe distance from camp to talk in a normal voice.

"Where are we even going?" I asked, face red from exertion. Sweat trickled down my face despite the chill the mist left in the air.

"You'll see soon enough, geez. Don't be some impatient," Justuo teased. Only a few yards away, he stopped. I stopped at his side, breath rapid. He wasn't even breathing deeply. I envied his ridiculous Feavii endurance.

"You're too fast for me," I admitted.

"Nah, you just don't run enough," Justuo said.

"What was the point of all this?" I asked, feeling a bit breathless due to the exertion of this morning's "little jog."

"Training," he said simply, but his smile told me there was more. When I didn't press for more information, he continued. "I have something special I want you to start learning because it may come in handy later in you Guardian career."

"What's that?" I asked suspiciously. I crossed my arms and watched him with guarded eyes.

"Tree-climbing," Justuo said cheerily. I felt my mouth drop open. "Serein is going to be helping me hone my own climbing skills and it would probably be in your best interest to learn a thing or two while you're still young."

"I'm not that much younger than you," I grumbled through my surprise. "Isn't tree-climbing a Feavii thing?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"It can be an anyone thing, Kairi," Justuo said, a hint of sobering in his voice. "Now quit being a pansy." He pulled me towards a tree, shoved me forward, and said, "Up you go!"

Before I had the chance to react, he had scooped me up and thrown me high enough for a bird to fly. I shouted out in panic as I felt myself cresting the top of the fall and falling back down to the earth. I scrambled for the first branch I saw, digging my nails into the bark and gripping it firmly.

I dared a peek down at Justuo. "Now, pull yourself up," he called. I swung my legs onto the branch, balancing my weight on the thick branch below me. "Good." He jumped high up with strength I didn't know he possessed, landing a few branched from me.

"What the hell was that!?" I finally growled after finding my voice. I clung to the branch like it was my lifeline. Sweat dampened my palms at the height, even though I was never one for being afraid of heights. No, that was Kiyo.

"You weren't going to get this high without some help," Justuo said shrugging. His mischievous smile was enough incentive to make me jump at him and claw his eyes out, but I held perfectly still, not trusting myself enough to get the job done.

"When are you going to teach Kiyo how to climb trees?" I asked sarcastically.

"I want to make sure you're good enough at it to help me teach her. That way, there's always a fail-safe in case she falls," Justuo replied, completely serious.

"Are you kidding me?" I said through clenched teeth.

"No, now keep climbing! There's a reward at the top," he said, jumping up and down on his branch, shaking the whole tree.

"Okay!" I yelled shrilly. "Just stop doing that!"

"Then get going," he said, perching down and jumping up to higher branches.

And so it proceeded. He coaxed me higher into the tree, reminding me to not look down. I gathered scrapes on my hangs as we continued, but they didn't bother me as much as my exhaustion did. I wasn't as bad as I thought I would have been, but my legs were shaking by the time we reached the top of the massive tree.

"This is high enough," he said, walking closer the outskirt, flimsy branches. "Follow me."

"I'll fall," I warned him.

"Have more faith in yourself," he called, disappearing in a bunch of leaves clotted on the outside of the bare branches we'd stopped on. I tentatively did as he told, clinging the branches around me for support.

After getting past the leaves, I found him perched on a branch like he'd been there this whole time. "Look there," he said, pointing out at the forest. "It's all Feywood. Down there is the lake where the Havadara River lets out." A canyon divided the forests in half, and a noticed a ribbon of blue water at its bottom.

"So pretty," I muttered.

"And look there," he said, amusement in his voice. He point in the opposite direction. Little figures around a dead campfire were beginning to stir. It took me a moment to realize that was our group.

"Holy shit, we need to get going!" I exclaimed.

"Yep, we do," Justuo chuckled. The sun broke from the horizon, a beautiful orb in the clear blue sky. The mist below that had settled on the ground rose, dissipating quickly. "Race you to Kiyo?"

"No way!" I said immediately. "I'll fall to my death."

"Fine, the race begins when we're both on the ground," he amended.

"Still not fair, Feavii!" I called as he began to swing down to lower branches. I followed in pursuit.

I didn't win the race to Kiyo, not by a long shot. Justuo even claimed "he was going easy on me" but I doubted it very seriously. By the time we got back to the camp, almost everyone was awake. Kiyo wasn't among those that were, and Justuo used his charm to wake her without causing a fuss.

We proceeded on to the Edge of Feywood, ready to be done with our journey. Justuo was much friendlier than the days before. Yoru and I would exchange knowing glances every so often. At one point, after Kiyo and Justuo had been talking for awhile, she turned to face me. _Thank you,_ she thought at the same time she mouthed it. I smiled, and shook my head.

_Any time, sis_, I replied. She smiled and returned to conversing with him near the head of our group.

"This is as far as I go," Azi said a few moments later.

Most of us stopped when she did, turning to face her with inquisition. "Why?" I asked. "Don't you want to actually come into Feywood?"

"No," she said. I expected her to continue, but she didn't.

"But won't you get lonely? Are you just going to stay here?" Yomi asked, looking concerned. It was one of the only times she had spoken to someone outside of Mpopyya on our whole journey.

"No, I'll be fine. I'll just camp out here until you guys leave," Azi said, her voice seeming nonchalant. Spark glanced between us and Azi.

"I'll stay, too," he offered. "I have no reason to go into Feywood."

"No, you should go," she urged, but he seemed adamant.

"I'll stay," he replied firmly.

"It was nice traveling with you," Serein spoke, her voice sincere. "We shall meet you in four days, if you do indeed wait so long."

"We will," Azi promised.

"Are you sure?" I asked again. Yoru nudged me, eyeing me with a look that said, _don't press it._

"Yes," Azi confirmed, plopping down beside a tree. "We'll see you later, girls."

"Bye," most of us called. The group started moving again, but questions twisted in my mind. Why was Azi so against going into the Feywood? Did she really not like her home that much? I wasn't so sure what it was.

Thirty minutes or so later, Justuo spoke.

"We are nearing the Edge, _devinii_," Justuo said to our group. He stopped and turned on his heel and faced our party. Serein and Fayt, who had been leading us through the woods, joined him.

"They will ask you a series of questions and search your mind simultaneously," Fayt stated in a matter of fact toned. A sinking feeling filled me as Kiyo was the first to react.

"You expect us to be okay with that?! Our heads are full of important information about Ash and his kingdom. How can we trust them?" retorted Kiyo. I knew as soon as the words had left Fayt's lips that she would object. Kiyo never did like anyone in her head.

"You must endure it to be allowed entry, _hasvan_. Our people have secrets as well, and they must remain guarded with the utmost care. I am sure you understand," Serein said trying to reassure Kiyo.

"What secrets can your race have that is more vital than Lord Ash's? Why should we sacrifice our knowledge for yours," Yomi interjected.

"All the questions you have been asking on our travel here can be answered after you are granted entry. It is against the laws of our people to disclose any information unless inquired upon first, and even then, it is very strict on the subjects that may be broached," Fayt answered confidently.

Serein continued in Avalanche's uncanny way of finishing each other sentences. "We are sorry, _devinii_, but this is an act you must see through. It has been done for centuries and it will continue. Even Lord Ash has to allow it after a long period without visiting." Her voice was more soothing than the one to follow it.

"And if his highness can endure our customs, then Mpopyya can do the same." Justuo concluded the statement with a harsher tone.

"I don't mean to be a jerk guys, but rules are rules, and my friends and I have obeyed all of yours whilst in your lands. Now you must obey ours. I promise it is harmless. The Edge's Guard would be punished if they harmed you and you were not a threat." Avalanche looked upon us in thought as they waited for a response.

"Then let's get this over with then," I said with a sigh. I didn't want an Elf or Feavii rambling through my thoughts and secrets without my consent, especially ones I didn't know.

"Thank you, Kairi," Hana said with a cold tone, "As a Human, I can understand all of your discomfort with the situation. Feavii and Elves are a very untrusting species, and their minds feel alien compared to our own. A fore warning to you: do not, under any circumstance, delve into an Elf's mind should one of the guards be Elven."

I couldn't recall a time where Hana had said so much at once. Fayt continued, "Neither a Feavii of the Elven variety. They're minds are also very dangerous. Please, for your own sake, do not try to pry into their thoughts while they probe your own."

"Why not?! If they can see in our heads, then why not return the favor!?" Mizu replied with irritation in her voice. I could feel Mpopyya's unease in the air and Avalanche was very guarded. I could tell from the emotions they just wanted to protect us, but they were annoyed with our defiance.

"Because digging into one of our minds is an experience you would not like to repeat, Mizu," Justuo answered, but irritation coated his words.

"You're not an Elf, Yamamotto. Why should we fear your mind?!" Yomi snapped back.

"He is of Elven decent, Bloodsucker. Did you not even listen?!" Aki interjected with venom in his words.

"Stop it guys! Let's just do this and get it over with. Yes, it will be uncomfortable but we have come this far. Why let such a small thing stop us?" I said. "Just trust them. Have any of Avalanche done anything to harm us?"

"That's up for debate," Yomi mumbled.

"Come on, guys, it is not bad at all. Trust me. Everyone here in Avi has had to do it except for those from Feywood." Prompto was trying to reassure us all.

"Yeah! Let's just go, Mommy. I don't have any naughty secrets!" Leah, once again, calmed everyone's moods with her cuteness. Mpopyya and Avalanche laughed together, and then we all continued. I could tell my sisters were still on edge about the Guards, but they seemed more at ease now. After all, if little Leah was brave enough to endure the Edge's Guard to search her mind, then the rest of Mpopyya had to follow in suite.

The forest turned from a spread of array of Maples and Oaks to a thick ancient mix of pines and towering trees I couldn't find the name for. The floor was cover in soft leaves and pine needles, and even the loudest members of our group were muffled almost to silence in the forest. I wondered how quiet an Elf could be in these woods if a Human was practically silent.

Just then, a cold hard tip poked into my back. "One more step, Hume, and I'll give you the worst Feywood 'hello' you can imagine," a male voice that sounded as sharp as the dagger in my back said. It chilled my spine.

I swallowed hard as Mpopyya kept walking ahead of me. Why had I chosen to follow up in the rear? Avalanche turned, and Justuo smiled mischievously.

"Hello there, Eryk."

Mpopyya turned around, and I saw their faces turn to shock as their eyes widened and mouths dropped open.

"Whoa!" was all that came from Kimi's mouth as she changed her stance to ready for a fight.

"Don't think we'll kill you too, Felion?" a female voice from above shouted as an arrow darted to Kimi's foot, burying itself in the ground with a thud. So that was how quiet they could be. I just had to ask, didn't I?

* * *

**Here you go, guys! Enjoy it, it's long so I hope it makes up for the long wait, I'm sorry! A special thanks to Justuo, Kiyo, and Crystal for writing several pieces and presenting ideas. Enjoy, my dear fans! Sorry for any confusion, by the way!**

**~Kairi Fatewin**


	57. Welcome to Feywood

_**~Chapter Fifty-Six: Welcome to Feywood~**_

"Get the hell away from my Guardian!" Kiyo growled

Yoru stepped forward to keep Kiyo or Eryk and the new comer from getting any closer. Kimi glared at the girl as she dropped from the trees. "Watch who you're pointing your daggers and arrows at," Yomi snarled.

"Hold your tongue, leech," Eryk snapped. My breath caught when I felt the cool, sharp tip of his dagger poke me again.

"They're with us," Fayt said with a smile.

"Don't tell them that, yet," Aki chuckled. "I'm having too much fun watching them."

"Quite the group you have with you today, _havjetinye_ and _tynii_," Eryk said. I had the feeling he was looking my friends up and down as if we were a package being delivered instead of guests trying to visit. "A guardian, the long-haired Vamp says? To all these girls?" His question was directed to me, and I swallowed the lump in my throat to answer.

"Yes, I am training to become their guardian," I replied evenly. It was hard to answer him as epically as I wanted to due to the fact that he was behind me instead of meeting my gaze. I didn't even know what my pursuer looked like.

"You have a diverse group of _gwynvaardin_," he said.

"I don't understand," I replied. I assumed he was speaking Elvish or Feavii or whatever they spoke here. I felt him shift closer and speak next to my ear.

"_Fye davdai esmian falee jyet nilian gituu_?" he spoke to Justuo. The words rolled off his lips like a sweet song or poem. The words sounded so complex that I wondered how the people of Feywood didn't become tongue tied in a casual conversation.

"_Jyet u viall_," Justuo answered with the same fluidity.

"I see," answered the man behind me and his blade left my back. "Turn slowly and cast your gaze to the forest floor, Human."

I did as I was told and turned slowly. Once turned around, I saw the bare feet of the man in front of me. _Feavii_, I thought to myself. I had learned from our trip that most Feavii prefer to go bare foot; Elves on the other hand do not. I could only see his feet, the bottom of his brown shorts, and what looked like a little rope anklet with a gem on the side around his ankle. I noticed the anklets that the certain members of Avi wore. _Must be a Feywood fashion statement, to wear anklets_.

"Kind of young, aren't you Hume?" the feet that were Eryk add to me.

"Still old enough to fight with my head raised," I retorted to the ground. A sound like the noise of a summer meadow entered my ears, and I was immediately reminded of Serein and Fayt's laughter. Was he laughing at me?

I looked up to see Eryk laugh.

"First, don't-!" My sentence cut off as I took in the Feavii boy. I lost my breath. His face was framed by messy black hair – whether it was dyed or natural, I wasn't sure – that looked soft to the touch. His eyes were deep green blue with a golden brown ring around the iris. His pale complexion mixed with the rest of his angular features made my heart skip a beat. A smirk formed on his pale lips.

"What's wrong, Hume? Have you never encountered a Feavii from the Feywood before?" Eryk mused.

My cheeks warmed with embarrassment. "Don't call me Hume, first of all. Second, don't mock me or laugh at me," I snapped. I shuddered as I felt a brush in my mind. I bit my tongue so hard it bled to keep from fighting off the intruder. If this was how hard I had to try to keep from fighting back, then Kiyo was going to throw a fit.

"You seem to take offense at your own race," Eryk said. That same mischievous glint that Justuo often had was in his eyes.

"It's very derogatory to call a Human 'Hume' and most of our group takes it very offensively," I said, voice rye.

"I'll keep that in mind, Human," he replied.

"I have a name," I reminded him. "It's Kairi." Eryk looked amused.

"What's your reason for coming to Feywood, Kairi?" he asked. I felt the probing intensify, and I began to fidget uncomfortably. "Selenia." Eryk's voice was obviously directed to the girl I hadn't had the chance to really look at. I wasn't risking a glance just yet.

"We are here for a vacation from Zephyr. Lord Ash sent us for the few days because he is renovating the castle," Yoru said, her voice void of emotion, but I could pick out the tension in her emotional flow.

Selenia raised a suspicious eye-brow, her bow already loosely notched, though it was lowered. "Oh? Is that so? Why would the King send his beloved packages to Feywood instead of allowing them access to another room in his palace?" I could feel her suspicion and caution, and I had to force myself to push away the emotions and keep to my own.

I really looked at her then. I was completely surprised. She was barely wearing enough to be considered decent in our society. She had a skirt woven of what seemed to be leaves, and it wasn't very long. Her top wasn't really enough to be a shirt, either. It looked like a bathing suit more than anything. It was yellow petal-like material that covered her breasts with vine straps holding it to her shoulders.

Selenia's hair flowered down her back in a perfect combination of elegant and messy curls. It was blue and purple, and I couldn't help but envy it. It was so pretty, so perfect. Her eyes had the same colors as they scanned me carefully, judging me and prodding through my mind at the same time.

I couldn't bring myself to say anything in the face of her appearance, and before I could come up with anything, Serein spoke, her words flowing gently. Her voice sang in soft Elvish. "Havjetuu, tynia, feran ry u yiisk. Yiwae kyu kana nikamna." Her voice seemed pleading, and Mpopyya watched in confusion. What was she saying?

"I see," Eryk replied after a long time. He nodded. There was understanding in his voice, and that seemed to be the end of the debate of why we were here.

Eryk's eyes returned to me, and I still felt that seeking of information in my mind. "You're an Emotion Reader, eh?" he said, and I noticed a quirky smile on his lips that he quickly hid. "Interesting."

"There called Greets," Yoru provided. I gave her a grateful glance in which she nodded.

Eryk continued to flush my thoughts. He was still in there, probing through it. A moment of uncomfortable silence passed before his eyes narrowed. The change was so sudden that I was completely startled, actually taking a step back at the apparent hostility. "She is not welcome here," Eryk replied harshly. I flinched at his cold tone, wondering what he'd found. My heart hammered, and I forced all thoughts of Lightning from my mind. If he told anyone, if that was what he was worried about, I knew he I was going to be busted.

"Why?" I whispered after he said nothing more.

"You're connected to Trace Saviore. He is the Dark King's top man. A string of Elvish followed that was spoken too fast for me to understand, but I could tell from his voice, it wasn't positive. Relief filled me that it wasn't my relationship with Lightning that had me in trouble.

"I can explain that," I said quickly. Justuo's face darkened, and I had a feeling he knew this would be an obstacle.

"She didn't have a choice," Kiyo said, standing up for me. I felt my heart clench at her noble bravado, but I didn't think it would mean much.

"I was forced into the connection against my will," I added. "Look at the memories, they are right there." They were. He had been on the verge of finding them before he had felt the mind connection. I felt dive into them, and for a moment, I allowed my conscious to slip in and relive the horrible memories.

Justuo's Point of View

I watched Kairi's eyes glaze as she followed Eryk into the memories. I had known this would be a snag in our visit. I hadn't warned Kairi that it would be an issue, and suddenly felt a bit guilty at not warning her. She'd tough it out, though.

Selenia seemed to be scanning the other's minds as we waited for Eryk to be done. She began to slander question at the others, not in a way that sounded accusatory, but she was being very formal. No friendly smiles or understanding nods here.

When she turned to Yomi, it was a very long, tense moment as she watched her, a bit more hostility behind her eyes than she was letting on in her facial features. "A Vampyre?" she asked of me.

"Only half-Vampyre," Yomi corrected, seemingly uncomfortable, but her pride refused to show the obvious. She'd do well to keep on guard around here.

"She is half-Human, half-Vampyre. Not full-fledged in the least," Serein explained neutrally. We couldn't leave Yomi out of Feywood borders, no matter how much of a pain in the ass we were to one another. It was our job to find refuge for Mpopyya for the next few days, and she would be joining us into Feywood or we would not be going, as much of a letdown as it was. I'd hoped the Edge's Guard would find a little comfort in the fact that she was only half-Vampyre instead of full.

We would see.

Selenia watched Yomi carefully, flipping through her thoughts, I assumed. Must've been nice to see what she thought of the world, or at least of Avalanche. I'd often wondered why she hated us so much. We hadn't even done anything to her, and yet, she acted as if we were the villains in every situation. It bugged the hell out of most of us.

Kairi let out a breath, and my attention went to her and Eryk. She seemed a little distraught by the looks of it, and her emotional craze was obvious. Her face flushed, and I knew by that look in her eyes, Eryk had discovered her relationship with Lightning. It made me wonder what had really happened the day her mind-connection with Trace formed.

Eryk seemed calmer, but that look of "unacceptable" hadn't left his eyes. "We can seal it off into your subconscious until you leave the Feywood, but that is the only way you may enter."

"That's a little drastic, don't you think?" Kiyo asked, her teeth clenched. I had to give her props. She was handling this better than I thought she would have been.

"No, just do it so I can be done with this," Kairi spoke up, her voice stronger than it had been. Her confidence had returned.

Kairi's Point of View

Justuo shifted slightly as he watched Eryk move closer to me. Trace, as irritated as he was, only said one thing_. I won't interfere, but this seal better be off when you leave Feywood._

Eryk's mind tickled the edges of my mind, and I shivered. I didn't like the feeling of him there. It was foreign, alien in my own. A sharp pain cracked through my mind, and I winced, but did nothing more. There was no reason to cause anymore alarm among Mpopyya. I waited for something else to happen after the headache-like pain subsided a few moments later. When Eryk looked at me expectantly, I glanced around. "That's it?" I wondered aloud.

"Yes," he said, seemingly amused. Then, he turned to Selenia, who was a little too close to Yomi for my liking. Kiyo's face was strained into a blank stare right at me. Relief was rolling through our bond, but Trace was not there. Only silence followed our connection. My mind was eerily peaceful, almost empty. I wasn't sure if I could get used to it.

"Now, what of this Vampyre?"

Yomi cleared her throat, her posture proving her discomfort. "I'm only half-Vampyre," she corrected him smoothly. "I don't even want to be one." It was true. Yomi loathed herself and her lineage for being anything Vampiric. She was even emitting melancholy feelings.

"How is that possible?" Eryk asked. "You resent your own kind?"

Yomi shook her head, her voice turning colder than I'd heard it in awhile. "I do not like being anything close to Vampires. Unholy beings that suck blood from the living." Yomi shuddered. "I do not enjoy my lineage."

I guessed the two Edge's Guard members were reading her thoughts, because Selenia nodded. "She's telling the truth," Kimi spoke up, voice stronger than mine sounded. Eryk's eyes landed on her, and his stern face faltered. I felt a flicker of emotion from him other than suspicion. There was a long moment of silence before Selenia spoke.

"You say she speaks the truth, but how do you know?" Selenia asked. "You don't know her very well."

Kimi stepped forward. "I don't know. I just can tell." She had confidence I'd kill for.

"You can tell when someone is lying," Eryk stated, a smile coating his lips. He muttered in Elvish before looking to Selenia. She paused a moment more before nodding.

"You may enter Feywood," they said together in perfect harmony. Relief coursed through me. We had made it. We were allowed in.

"Thank you!" I said, unable to help my smile.

"But I foreworn you, hasvaniia, you would be wise not to betray our secrets. You won't enjoy the consequences." Eryk's voice was grave, and I couldn't help but notice the threat beneath his words.

Leah, speaking for the first time, said, "Don't worry, Rykky. We won't tell anyone. We can keep a secret."

Eryk softened and smiled warmly at her. "I'm sure you can, little one. Enjoy your stay while here."

Kimi gave him a timid smile. "We will, thanks."

Eryk, with a final glance at Kimi, jumped to the lowest branch of a nearby tree, so silent that if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have known it had happened. Selenia followed in pursuit, and it was as if the two had vanished like ghosts. I was a bit startled, but said nothing. Justuo found my gawking amusing.

"Nothing like a good interrogation in the morning," Aki chuckled.

"I don't see how you find it so amusing," Kiyo retorted, boosting Leah on her hip farther.

"Don't worry, Mommy. I think they're really nice. They're just trying to protect their home. I bet if all Phoenixes were more like the Feavii then we would be a lot safer," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. Surprisingly enough, Leah's words very wise and true. Kiyo nodded after a moment.

"You're right," she said with a nod.

"Let's get going. I'm ready to be done with this journey," Mizu said.

"Can I second that?" Yami replied, raising her hand.

"I do," Yomi said, surprisingly calm after what had happened.

"Then let us continue, _hasvaniia_," Fayt said, a twinkle in his eyes.

We left, much more at ease now that we were away from prying minds. Leah even got down and walked some, though she didn't wander very far. The towering trees that billowed over us were huge with extensive canopies that blocked a lot of the stifling heat that would soon beat down on the Paranormal World.

As we kept forward, following Avalanche's lead, the thickness of magic in the air seemed to pulse with activity. It was like someone with a powerful magical resonance had come upon us, and I immediately tensed, readying for any attack that would come. I even turned to check out the back of our group. No one was following us that I could sense, but the magic continued to grow with intensity. It was almost dizzying.

I glanced at Yoru, meeting her eyes and raising an eyebrow as if to ask if she felt the strange presence as well. Her eyes told me I wasn't the only one feeling the phenomena.

"Why does it feel like we just entered a magic battle from hell?" I asked. Flecks caught in the sunshine that did filter through the heavy canopies, and I wondered if I was going insane. It was as if I could see specks of magic in the air.

"What do you mean?" Fayt asked, turning his gaze to me.

"It feels like there's a huge heavy presence nearby," I asked, a shiver tickling my spine. My senses were doing flip flops.

"I know what you mean," Mizu said, blinking.

Justuo chuckled. "This is why Feywood is so special and secluded, _devinii_. You see, a long time ago, Feywood used to be nearly uninhabited. The huge trees and powerful magical resonance caused much curiosity through the world, and Humans soon took it upon themselves to explore the uncharted territory."

Serein continued from where he left off in that uncanny way Avalanche often spoke. "The Humans that settled there were greeted by land that held a powerful resonance of its own, and there, many trees and plants that existed nowhere else were left alone to thrive in the magical hum. The forest was split into two sides, the east and the west both divided by the Havadara River."

"The Humans split into two groups during their exploration, each taking separate sides of the river," Aki said, picking a leaf from a tree I'd never seen before. He popped into his mouth before continuing. "They settled in the forest, making it their home." Fayt spoke after that.

"After many centuries of enduring the magical resonance of the forest, it was obvious that the Humans were changing. Their life spans had become much longer, and certain features such as pointed ears and strangely patterned eyes become prominent. Their magical, mental, and physical capabilities had increased extraordinarily."

"They could hardly be called Humans anymore," Hana stated, her thoughts so attuned to the rest of Avalanche's that it had slipped out.

"There were two new species to be called inhabitants of the Paranormal World," Justuo said. "Elves and Faeries. Elves lived on the west side of the Havadara and Faeries lived on the east side."

"Well, where do Feavii come into this all?" Kimi asked, just as deeply interested as the rest of Mpopyya. Leah hovered near Justuo's ankles, listening to the tale like it was story time.

"There's an old legend that says a female Elf and a male Faerie once fell in love," Fayt began.

"The Elf girl was so in love with the Faerie boy that they…," Aki paused, glancing down at Leah, seemingly uncomfortable.

"They had a baby," Serein picked up smoothly, lifting Leah up onto her shoulders.

"The union between the two species created a whole new species altogether: Feavii," Prompto said. "They get the best of both worlds, so to speak."

"Like?" Mizu pressed.

"Feavii have varying attributes," Justuo said. "If you're a Faerie dominant Feavii, like Fayt here," he paused to punch him playfully; Fayt blocked with ease, smiling, "then your hair will more than likely change with your diet. Fayt likes a lot of _Azeeltulpy_ and other blue foods, so his hair, nails, and eyes are blue. You'd also be shorter than Elves or Elf dominant Feavii. You'd be, well, more Faerie-like."

"_Azeeltulpy_?" Yami asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The direct translation is 'blue berries' but they aren't normal blueberries like you're used to. They're from the Feywood," Hana explained.

"Ah, I see," I said with a nod.

"If you're an Elf dominant, like Justuo," Serein explained, "you would be taller with a less likely chance to have your hair, eyes, and nails change with the color of food you eat most."

"And then you have balanced Feavii, like Aki," Justuo continued. "With balanced Feavii, it's anyone's draw. Aki's never let his hair grow out to its normal color, so we aren't sure if it changes with his diet."

"But what if you don't eat a specific color of food," Yomi asked nonchalantly, and I almost laughed at her curiosity.

"Then it's a mellow color such as black, silver, brown, or even white," Fayt replied.

"Thanks for the free lesson in Feavii Class 101," I chuckled teasingly. "Anything else we should be aware of?"

"Just ask questions as they come," Prompto said, waving his hand.

"It's much easier that way," Justuo agreed.

"Okay, sounds like a deal," Kiyo said, a smile towards Justuo.

Leah and I wandered around, looking at flowers and other vegetation, asking questions here and there about what they were and if they were edible. Feavii and Elves didn't eat meats, so much of their diet consisted of plantation.

"Hey Kairi," Aki called after awhile of meandering around. "Why don't you pick that one?"

I glanced up at him from a yellow, dainty flower that Leah was blowing on; she understood that "people's breath helped flowers grow" so she often did this when she saw a pretty flower she liked. Aki was pointing to the side of the trail. I followed his gaze, and my mouth fell open.

A beautiful pink flower that was bigger than a tea saucer was opening with a stream of sunshine warming it. I instantly knelt by it, taken aback by its beauty. Leah came to my side, kneeling down with me. The aroma was so thick that I could almost taste it in the air. I slowly reached towards it, feeling very surreal.

"Hey Auntie Kairi, I don't want you to scream or anything, but there's a big fluffy spider living under that flower," Leah whispered, her eyes level with the ground. Only a second later, it skittered from beneath it, and my heart stopped, vision dizzying.

"Holy shit!" Mizu yelled.

"Mizu!" Yomi complained.

"Oh my god," Kimi muttered, stepping back.

I didn't hear the rest of our group's response. A scream ripped from my chest as I stumbled backwards. The spider was the size a four month old kitten, and that wasn't including the legs! I was still screaming as Leah plucked the flower from its stem, walking away from the spider with no fear.

"Kill it, kill it, kill it!" Kiyo squealed, but I was already two steps ahead of her. I launched a fire ball twice its size at it, and so help me Fate, it hissed. The fire engulfed it, and it the spider stopped moving. It curled in on itself, its legs smoking from the crisp of the fire.

"Aww, come on, _kohai_. That was just a baby," Justuo said, but I could hear the obvious joke in his voice.

"If that was a baby, then I'd hate to run into the grandfather!" I yelled in embarrassment, shivering at the mere thought.

"That must've been Fluffy's granddaughter," Yomi teased.

"Don't even joke like that!" Kiyo said, holding her arms close to her now.

"Here Uncle Aki," Leah said, tugging on his pants' leg with the flower in hand. He glanced down at her and chuckled.

"Thanks, Leah." Aki took the flower from her hand. "It seems you're braver than Guardian Kairi."

"No, I just don't mind spiders," Leah replied matter-of-factly.

"Hah hah, so funny," I snapped waiting for the spider to spring back to life as some weird Feywood-magic-side-effect or something.

"The animals and plants here are also affected by Feywood's magic," Justuo said.

"Yeah? No kidding," Mizu said, her eyes wide.

"Can we not even talk about it anymore?" Yami asked, and I could tell just by the look on her face, she did not like out of proportion animals, particularly creepy crawlies.

"Sure thing, Yami," Prompto said, grabbing her by the shoulders and pulling her towards the front of the group.

"Let's go before that thing jumps up and comes for us," I muttered. That got a round of laughs from Avalanche, even Akira and Hana.

"I don't think it's coming back, Kairi," Justuo said, sobering a little.

"It better not," I grumbled under my breath.

A few hours later, we arrived at a village called Durangeal. Tall trees' trunks were shaped into houses, almost like the trees had been grown into homes instead of the homes made of trees. In the tree canopies and higher branches, I noticed the branches seemed to create rooms, and some trees even had wooden platforms that people could stand on. Vines and ladders hung from the tops, making it easily accessible for old and young Feavii and Elves. Swinging bridges that I'd only ever seen in movies and pictures connected several of the wooden platforms and rooms in the tree tops.

The sound ground was cushioned with moss and pine needles, and I realized why so many Feavii enjoyed going barefoot in Feywood. The smell of earth, leaves, and bark was thick in the air as I took in the surroundings that were so very foreign to my usual sightings in Zephyr.

"Home sweet home," Serein said, with a deep breath.

"This is where Serein and Fayt grew up," Justuo explained as we made our way through the forest.

"It's beautiful," Kiyo and Yomi muttered in unison.

"No kidding," I whispered.

Then, I noticed the inhabitants. A group of girls, one shorter than the other two, paused as we made our way into the village. They muttered to themselves in what I guessed was Elvish, and one of them pointed to me. I felt myself flush as the other one of the taller girls, both Elves, I realized, noticed my eyes on them. They turned away, pulling the shorter of them, I assumed a Feavii, away.

"Did I do something?" I whispered to Justuo.

He shook his head. "No, but we don't have any pink foods in Feywood."

"So?" I asked, crossing my arms self-consciously.

"You're hair is pink, Kairi. Not many Feavii or Elves have seen hair that color," Justuo replied, like it was obvious.

"Oh," I said, flushing.

"Sometimes you can be really oblivious," Aki teased.

"We told her that, but she doesn't believe us," Yami said. I was too busy watching the other Feavii and Elves to pay any attention to her comment. Some walked around casually while others skipped from branch to branch in the high limbs above.

We passed several huts made of sticks and branches, and some even woven from what appeared to be vines and leaves. I was awestruck, unsure what to say or ask. It was very over-whelming, but I loved every second of it.

"We'll be meeting up with Mr. and Mrs. Godwing for a tour of Durangeal," Prompto explained as we passed curious, on-looking Feavii and Elves.

"Why is everyone so curious about us?" Kimi asked.

"You're the first outsiders to really come into Feywood since the Vampire Wars about seventy years ago," Serein explained, and I could hear a bitter edge to her voice. The Vampire Wars? From the unnaturally bitter sound of Serein's voice, I wasn't so sure I wanted to ask what they were.

"That doesn't sound very good," Yami said, glancing at Yomi with unease.

"Not so much her kind of Vampyres, but Vampires with an _i_. Both were there. Elliot sent his whole Vampire legion into Feywood trying to flush out our home to weaken us. Vampiric venom is deadly. A single drop is enough to make us sickly," Aki explained venom in his voice.

"It is not so with Elves, only Feavii and Faeries," Serein said.

"However, just half a cup of our blood will kill them," Justuo added slyly.

"Why?" I asked.

"Vampires and Feavii, as well as Faeries, were born natural enemies. A Vampire's venom kills when it enters the subject's blood stream unless it is another Vampire. The venom kills their victim before their hearts restart and they reawaken as a newborn, am I correct?" Justuo stated.

"Yes," I nodded, intrigued.

"Well, our genes that we get from our Faerie ancestors give us a particular weakness towards toxin," he said.

"If we are bitten and enough of the venom gets into our bloodstream, we will die a rather sufferable death," Fayt picked up. My eyes moved to him. "It doesn't take much before we would be dead. But that is normal when it comes to a Vampiric transition."

"When we're dead, we stay dead. We don't come back to life because our blood and genes do not cooperate with the venom as other species' do," Aki said.

"But it is a double edged sword," Serein added.

"How so?" Yomi asked.

"Feavii and Faerie bodily fluids have certain healing qualities. Their saliva, for example, helps to mend wounds. Faeries use their bodily fluids in potions often," Hana said. Aki continued where she left off.

"Because of this lively healing quality, when a Vampire ingests Feavii or Faerie blood, the blood automatically begins to heal them. But a Vampire is dead, and you can't heal death. A Vampire is an undead creature that is only alive through the transformation the venom put them through," he explained.

"There's no coming back for a Vampire," Justuo stated rather bluntly. "Our blood tries to heal them, but it does the opposite. It kills them, instead. It's a slow, dragged out process, from what I've heard."

"That's messed up," I muttered. "One can't kill the other without dying themselves."

"Nature has a lot of balances," Yoru said more to me than anyone else.

"She's right, _devinia_," Fayt said with a nod.

"Is it the same for Vampyres with a y?" Yomi asked her face pale.

"I wouldn't think so, at least if you were born one. Vampyres can be born, right?" Aki asked, glancing at Justuo for confirmation.

"Yes, I do believe so," Yoru replied for him. "That's what we learned from Noel." She muttered the last part, and I could see her remembering the troubles she had caused us. A moment later, we stopped.

"Here we are," Serein said, her tone lightening the atmosphere. My stomach fluttered in anxiety at the thought of meeting new people. I had gotten better at meeting new people ever since I'd come to the other worlds, but we weren't in familiar territory now.

I guessed that I was giving off that feeling because Fayt smiled warmly in my direction. "Do not worry. They aren't very mean, _devinia_," he chuckled. I blushed, embarrassed that I had been so obvious.

"Come on, _kohai_," Aki said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pulling me forward.

"Aki, stop!" I hissed in irritation. The large tree ahead of us was larger than the rest of the other houses that we'd seen so far, and now that I was closer, I noticed the windows and doors were hollow, empty spaces. Someone could peek right inside. I could see that the tree was obviously hollow on the inside, indicated by the doorway that Fayt was approaching and the window near it.

Inside, a young-looking man stood behind a wooden counter. He was talking to a woman who seemed about the same age. Then again, Serein looked twenty, and she was actually over a hundred years old. Looks could be deceiving in Feywood.

"The Godwing's own a general store," Prompto explained to us

The woman glanced up as Fayt stepped into the doorway. "_Matay_, _Undtay_," Fayt said, his voice unbelievably smooth as he spoke in Elvish. "We have guests."

"Oh?" the lady at the counter said, glancing out the window. Her eyes fell on us before she smiled warmly, the same kind of smile Fayt had given me only moments ago. "Well, have them come in!" she exclaimed.

"Hey Mrs. Godwing," Justuo said, stepping through the doorway next. "We have a few visitors from Zephyr."

We followed the rest of Avalanche into the fairly sized room that awaited us. Inside, the walls were smooth and clean with notches that had seemingly grown with the tree. Shelves held all kinds of goods on display. A spiral staircase led to a second floor and a third one after that. I guessed that meant the Godwing's lived here, as well.

"Hello Justuo," Mrs. Godwing said still smiling.

"You have come home, finally," said the man near her in a joking manner, and I assumed that he was Fayt's father due to the next comment. "It's good to have you home, son." I noted that both head an accent that I was unfamiliar with. An Elvish accent.

"And it is nice to be home," Fayt replied. Mrs. Godwing was short, even for a girl, and she had purple hair that would probably fall to her shoulder blades if it weren't pulled back from her face. Her eyes were the same shade of purple, but I could just barely see the blue rimming her pupil. Mr. Godwing was also short, but he had a good four inches on Fayt, standing at five feet and eight inches tall. He had pure white hair that reminded me of snow, and his eyes matched. Obviously, they were Faerie dominant Feavii.

"Who are your friends?" Mrs. Godwing asked, and I could feel kindness as well as curiosity pouring in from the two of them. They were nice people, I realized.

"This is Mpopyya," Fayt said, motioning to us. "Kairi is their Guardian." He looked at me before moving on. "These two are Mizu and Kiyo, two of the water users I've been trying to help teach." He motioned to each of us as he continued. "Yami and Kiyomi, or Yomi, as she prefers." I gave him props for being so kind towards someone so ill towards him and Avalanche half the time. "This is Yoru, Leah, and Kimi; though Leah and Kimi are not part of Mpopyya, they are traveling in the group as well," Fayt explained.

"It's nice to meet you," I said smiling timidly. I'm pretty sure Mpopyya didn't mind me speaking for them. Their unrest was evident through our bonds and in the emotional static in the air.

"It is nice to have you, _hasvaniia_," Mr. Godwing said.

"I really like your hair," Leah said from Kiyo's hip. She was talking to Mrs. Godwing. "I wish I could have purple hair, too."

"I don't know, young one," Mrs. Godwing said. "You have such pretty blond hair. I don't think you should change it at all."

"I guess so," Leah giggled.

"So is this where you live all the time?" Kimi asked, studying the store.

"Yes, we live upstairs," Mr. Godwing explained.

"That's so interesting," Kimi said in fascination.

"I was wondering if you would give us a tour around Durangeal, just so the girls can see a little more of Feywood and where they'll be staying for the next couple of days," Justuo asked.

"Of course," they said in almost unison.

"Do you want me to stay with the store, _nil neia_?" Mrs. Godwing asked of her husband.

"If you'd like," Mr. Godwing replied. She smiled and nodded, touching his hand before he came around the counter.

"_Naven davhana, Undtay_," Fayt said. I resisted the urge to ask what he had said. Instead, I cast a look at Yoru. She shrugged, having no answer for my silent question. I don't think anyone in Mpopyya could understand Elvish unless Kiyo had been taking lessons. I added the Elvish to my "to-learn" list that Justuo was supposed to be teaching me.

"You are welcome, Fayt," he chuckled. "Let us leave then. It may take awhile to see all of Durangeal."

"Yeah, but at least Durangeal is pretty small in comparison to Inner Haven," Justuo said, looking at Mpopyya.

"Inner Haven?" Kiyo asked, raising an eyebrow and smiling.

"Inner Haven is almost like the capitol of Feywood. It's like Zephyr, but for the Feywood," Justuo explained.

"It is very beautiful there," Mr. Godwing commented.

"I hope I get to see it someday," I said nudging Kiyo.

"Me too," she agreed.

"Maybe someday we will plan a longer trip so we can visit it," Serein offered.

"That would be awesome!" Mizu exclaimed. I smiled to myself at the sound of Mpopyya opening up more. It was good to hear them talking again.

"We'll be going to the Center first seeing as it is the closer of Durangeal's attractions," Mr. Godwing said.

"Every village in Feywood has a center that everything is based around," Hana explained.

"All the villages are circular, or ovular," Prompto added. "The center has lots of shops."

"It's a place where a lot of Elves and Feavii just go to hang out," Aki said.

"So, it's kinda like the mall back at home?" Yami asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you could say that," Hana answered nodding.

"But not nearly as busy," Justuo said.

"Or crowded," Aki added.

"Huh," Mizu said. "Well they don't seem very similar when you put it that way."

"We'll have to wait and see," Kiyo chuckled.

We passed a lot of Feavii and Elves on the way to the Center, some that were in houses and some that watched us with curious eyes. Others paid us no mind until we had passed, then they would watch us as we continued. "We do not get many visitors to Feywood from the outside, particularly in a small village like Durangeal," Mr. Godwing said. "That's probably the reason you are such a spectacle."

"That and Kairi's bright pink hair," Justuo joked as he tasseled my hair.

"Stop that," I snapped, ducking out of his reach too late to not have my hair ruffled.

"Yes, it's a rarity to see pink hair, here. Most of us have never seen pink hair before," Mr. Godwing chuckled. I watched a couple of Feavii (I think they were Feavii anyway…) bowing to one another before they carried on a conversation of sorts. Fayt seemed to notice my scrutiny.

"There are formalities among the Feavii and Elves when you are speaking to certain people," he explained. "When you are speaking to someone in which you respect significantly, you do this." He stopped, and the rest of our group did as well. He placed his index and middle finger on his forehead before bowing. As he bowed, he twisted his hand until his palm aligned with his sternum. He then straightened, his hand falling to his side.

"They won't get mad if I forget to do that, will they?" Kiyo whispered to Justuo.

"No, of course not," he replied. "They won't expect you to know that."

"You are guests, after all," Mr. Godwing said.

As Mr. Godwing continued, we followed, and the ground began to clear out into more opened areas. Houses were farther apart, and I noticed an increase in Feavii and Elves here. They sat on smaller tree limbs, humming and chatting, and some even sat on the ground with their friends.

They spoke in Elvish, their tongues seemingly singing as the words rolled from them in elegance. _I definitely want to learn Elvish_, I thought to myself. I'd mention it to Justuo later. The homes almost cleared out before even larger trees came upon us. Their canopies seemed to stretch up and touch the sky, and light filtered through them more than the others. Gentle rays settled down around them, and I noticed larger rooms in their branches, as well as swinging bridges that connected one to the next, all the way around the smaller trees that grew between them and among them.

"This is the Center," Mr. Godwing. "These trees that circle around it are the guest homes where passing travelers that are allowed to enter most commonly stay. It is also where you'll be staying during your time in Durangeal."

"We'll be staying up _there_?" Kiyo whispered, clenching Justuo's shirt sleeve as she stared up at the tall rooms. "What if we fall?"

"I won't let you fall," Justuo chuckled.

"Promise?" she asked, eyeing him incredulously.

"Promise," he said with a nod. Her hand only lingered on his sleeve for a few more moments before it dropped to her side.

"Good."

We moved through the center where shops and restaurants were left open for anyone's convenience. Something I noticed about the stores was that they didn't sell any meat. The restaurants were also strictly vegan. I didn't think it would be much of a problem for Mpopyya to go a few days without meat.

Elves and Feavii sat around, playing instruments and singing, laughing and talking. The atmosphere was peaceful and calm and I felt a small longing for that same peace. Ash's kingdom had been fighting for so long, but we were completely oblivious to the truth of it. There must've been so many destroyed villages. No wonder Feywood was neutral and isolated. It was peaceful and beautiful that way.

"If you see any shops that interest you, by all means, go have a look," Mr. Godwing was saying. I looked back to the group. Leah was pulling Kiyo towards a candy shop of sorts. Mizu and Yami followed closely after while Yoru started towards a weapon shop.

"Oh, I'm definitely coming," I said trailing behind her. We stepped into the tree. Like Fayt's parent's home, all of the counters and shelves were grown with the tree, and I wondered how a tree could possibly grow into a living space.

Weapons of all sorts lined the shelves. Swords, bows, staffs, and even daggers were scattered about the store. "Kairi, I am debating on whether I should get a Katana or a dagger," she asked me at one point while I was milling over buying some throwing knives.

"Well, I'm not good with swords, so I'm biased," I chuckled, glancing over to her. She was standing at a shelf near the front of the store. A long, sleek katana lay propped on two stones while several much small daggers sat below. She was watching one that had a dark handle made of some kind of sleek stone. The blade extended about five inches out, and the point looked sharp enough to deliver many final blows.

"I think I may get the dagger," she agreed after a moment of thought. "Besides, I already have a scythe and a sword. Why would I need a katana, too?"

"Exactly," I agreed with a nod. She picked the dagger up and went to pay for it while I returned to the throwing knives I'd been longing to buy. It was a nice set, and it didn't seem very pricey, about four silver pieces. That wasn't so bad.

"Yoru, I really want to buy these," I complained when she joined me again. She had her new dagger strapped around her ankle; very stylish in the other worlds, but also very smart.

"Get them!" she enthused. "I could help you learn to use them."

"Alright, alright," I caved in with a smile.

Mr. Godwing was delighted we'd found several things that we would enjoy. We passed a pair of Feavii playing some sort of board game, and then another pair drawing in the dirt with sticks, playing what appeared to be tic-tac-toe.

"It's so different here," Mizu said.

"It's really peaceful," Yomi said, smiling.

"That's because of our secretive nature," Serein said, a sly grin on her face.

"She jokes about it, but truly that is what has kept us so peaceful for so long," Mr. Godwing said with a hint of sorrow in his voice and emotional flow.

"We only let certain people into Feywood, and they are forbidden from telling anyone outside of Feywood, unless they've already been accepted into Feywood," Justuo explained. "Don't ever tell any of Feywood's secrets to anyone."

"Why?" Yami asked, tuning into the conversation despite Prompto's attempts of impressing her.

"If the right person told Elliot of our secrets, imagine what Elliot could do? Or even a group of rogues?" Mr. Godwing said. "If Feywood's secrets became known to the rest of the kingdom, it would be challenged. After all, it is our forest that gave us the gifts it has. It grows to the shapes it does because we have taken care of it for so long."

"We don't own Feywood," Aki said. "We are borrowing Feywood's land. And because we do so much for the forest, it has taken care of us in its own ways. Its trees grow to be our houses."

"Its fruits grow to feed us," Fayt continued.

"If someone tried to over-throw Feywood for the immortality it grants Elves and the prolonged life it gives Feavii and Faeries, its power would be abused," Hana said, her eyes dark with the thoughts that radiated from Avalanche's minds.

"That is why word must never get out," Prompto added.

"If one spills the secrets of Feywood, the consequences are grave," Akira said, speaking for the first time all day.

"What happens to them?" I whispered, not meaning for my voice to shake so much.

"If the Royal Council of Feywood found out that someone spilled our secrets, they would send the Royal Guard to find the betrayer," Justuo said voice hard. "The Royal Guard member would then proceed to capture the betrayer and bring them back to Feywood. They'd be put to sleep, and while they were sleeping, all of their memories of Feywood and anyone from Feywood would be erased. Once the memories were gone, they would be released, and completely exiled from Feywood."

"Oh," I managed to whisper. Fear had crept into me at the thought of someone taking my memories, or any of my protectants' memories. "That can't happen." My face felt warm, and my vision felt slow.

"It won't," Hana said.

"Unless you tell outsiders of Feywood," Justuo finished.

"Wonderful," Kiyo muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I can't stand people messing with my memories."

"Don't worry," Justuo said, touching her arm. "Ash knows of Feywood's secrets." His words sounded only slightly bitter, but he had meant it to comfort her.

"It's a good thing he does," she muttered under her breath. I don't think she meant to actually say it out loud.

"Well," I sucked out. "Moving on from that sore subject…"

"We'll show you the training grounds next. It's the farthest from our store," Fayt explained, obliging. "Then, we will show you to your quarters."

The walk to the training grounds was milled away by quiet chatter and questions of the Feavii race, diet, and daily lives. Justuo and Kiyo often fell in step, talking in their own personal conversations. Kimi would often watch in curiosity, as if seeing something the rest of us didn't.

Our group was led to an open area with a large dirt circle big enough to be the perimeter of a house. Dummies made of hay were lined up outside of the circle in a different area. Near that, a huge archery range spread across the opened area. Hay bales were stacked on top of one another, and some even hung from lower tree branches. And obstacle course ran the length of the long stretch beside the archery range. Dead twigs, logs, and other hay bales served as obstacles.

"This is the training grounds," Mr. Godwing said.

"Feavii and Elves need a bigger space to train because we move around a lot more. Our jumps are higher and our blows are more forceful," Aki explained.

"Makes sense," I laughed, unable to imagine a fight between Feavii.

"The Guardian quarters is also near here," Mr. Godwing said, motioning towards a cluster of lighter colored trees about one hundred yards from the training grounds.

"Guardians?" I asked hopefully.

"Yes, like the _Eleracas Vendu_, or Royal Guard," Justuo said, the Elvish flowing from his tongue like water trickling in a creek. "They protect the royal family, and it is made of each village's strongest warriors."

"The Guardian Quarters also houses the Edge's Guard members," Prompto added.

"Eryk and Selenia stay there?" Kimi asked.

"Yes," Mr. Godwing answered. She didn't say anything after that, and I had a feeling she was contemplating something. I dismissed it when a tall Elf approached us. He had long, dark hair that fell to the middle of his back. His skin was pale, and it looked soft to the touch, so soft that I resisted the urge to reach out and touch it. His eyes were grey, like pools of mercury, but I saw flecks of green scattered throughout his silver iris.

When he spoke, it was harder to understand him than the other Feavii and Elves we'd met so far for two reasons. The first reason was he had a very thick Elvish accent, and the other reason was that he liked to mix Elvish and English in the same sentence. It was hard to keep up.

"_Evange, iler esmian_," he said, smiling at Justuo and his friends. Immediately, half of our group did the same hand motion and bow Fayt had shown us earlier. Mpopyya wasn't included in that half.

"Vladamirr," Justuo said. "These are our guests."

"A pleasure, _hasvaniia_. I am Vladamirr," he replied, his eyes scanning our group.

"I'm Kairi," I said, doing my best to copy the bow Fayt had shown me. Vladamirr raised an eyebrow.

"Impressive for a guest to learn our ways so quickly," he chuckled.

"She is my student," Justuo said. "We've been trying to teach them some formalities."

"I see," Vladamirr replied. "And the others?"

"They are also our students," Serein answered with a smile and nod.

"Will they be training with us tomorrow?" he asked.

"Yes," Prompto said. "Unless they aren't feeling up to the challenge, that is." He smirked at the last part.

"Wouldn't want Mpopyya to have to dirty their hands," Aki teased.

"Oh, we'll be training with you guys," Kiyo said, taking on the challenge for the rest of us.

"Wouldn't want Avi to show us up or anything," I added innocently.

"Of course not," Yomi confirmed.

"Good to know." Justuo gave a cunning smile before turning back to Vladamirr. "Seems like we're all set for tomorrow morning then."

"I will meet you here by morning hour," Vladamirr said with a sparkle of mischievousness in his eye. Suddenly, I wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into.

The dusk of evening was settling around us when we finally made it back to the Center. Exhaustion had caught up with us, and the lack of any real sleep in the past forty eight hours was dragging our eye lids down.

We came to a stop at the foot of one of the large guest houses. A ladder hung from above. "Up we go," Aki chuckled.

"I assume you can take care of them from here, Fayt?" Mr. Godwing asked.

"Yes, _Undtay_," Fayt agreed.

When Mr. Godwing was gone, I asked, "What does _undtay_ mean?"

"It means Father. _Matay_ means Mother," Justuo explained as Fayt followed Aki up the later.

"Justuo, I can't climb that," Kiyo whispered, uneasily.

"I'll carry you," Justuo offered. "Just close your eyes and don't look down."

"What if I fall? What if _you_ fall?" Kiyo said, her voice creeping towards hysteria.

"I won't let you fall, Kiyo," he chuckled. "Kairi, you go up first."

"Got it," I said, starting the ascension. It wouldn't have been so hard to climb the ladder if it wasn't so loose. I managed, though, and finally reached the top. I found steady footing on the wooden platform that level out into the room. Mpopyya, one by one, filed after me. Yomi came up, then, with a nodding off Leah. The room was hollowed out like the other homes on the ground, but the walls were made of growing branches.

Justuo, with a scared, nearly hyperventilating Kiyo clenched to his back, finally submerged from the shadowy ground below. She found comfort in the hard floor that awaited her, choosing to sit down for a few moments before allowing me to help her stand. She then took Leah from Yomi's arms, thanking her quietly for the help.

"This is where you'll be staying," Justuo said, leading us from the balcony into the room. Fayt was already there, waiting for us. I was too tired to take any details in except for a fluffy, soft-looking bed with matching pillows. Besides, it was too dark to make out any details tonight.

"Three in each room," Justuo said.

"I'll stay with Kairi and Yoru," Kiyo declared knowing Yoru and I had already claimed a room together on the way; that, and I'm pretty sure she didn't want to do anymore climbing for the night.

"That leaves you three," Aki's voice said, and he seemed to appear out of nowhere at the other side of the room. Upon closer inspection, there was a bridge behind him that trailed into the darkness beyond. I assumed a sister room that mirrored this one lay on the other side.

"Leah will also be sleeping with us," Kiyo said, adjusting the sleeping Phoenix in her arms.

"I'll be staying where?" Kimi asked.

"There's a hammock in the other room if you'd like that, but we could always let you stay with Hana in her hut," Justuo offered.

"Definitely the hammock!" she said with a smile.

"Alright, this way," Aki said.

"Goodnight guys," Yomi called.

"See you in the morning," I said with a wave. As everyone's goodnights rang in the air, Kiyo slipped Leah into the bed. I knew she was tired, but she didn't lie next to her yet. Instead, she went to Justuo.

"Goodnight, Justuo," she said, smiling. "Thank you for taking care of us."

"It's my pleasure," Justuo said, a polite smile showing in the dim moonlight. "Now go get some rest. It's been a long travel."

"You're right," I agreed. I went to hug him, then Fayt, muttering goodnights to them before joining Yoru on our king sized bed. Kiyo followed after, hugging Justuo in an almost awkward sort of way.

"Don't let the Darklings bite," Justuo teased.

"Shut up, you goof!" Kiyo scolded, before plopping down on the soft, feather down bed. I just barely heard his response before I fell to sleep.

"I'm only joking. You are safe. Sleep well, _devinii_."


	58. Feavii Training

_**~Chapter Fifty-Seven: Feavii Training~**_

_I open my eyes and find the room around me to be familiar, but I've never been here before. My hair has fallen in my eyes in the restlessness of my sleep. My eyes land on a beautiful sight; the teal haired boy next to me is sleeping soundly._

_ I smile for some reason before wrapping an arm around him. He responds instantly, taking my hand in his. I must have woken him. He twines our fingers together just in time to bring his lips to my knuckles. "Good morning, dear," he whispers._

_ "I dreamt a strange dream last night," I say, pressing my forehead to his warm, bare shoulder. "It involved you." My voice is softer than usual, and something feels off. Who is 'you'? I realize this is the type of dream I'm not in control of._

_ "Tell me what happened," he said, stroking my thumb with his._

_ "You were taken," I sigh. I feel melancholy, but there is no reason that I can think of._

_ "You know," he said, rolling to his back. "You're mind likes to torture you, dear," he chuckles. "Nothing can keep me from you." He turns to meet my gaze, but his face is blurred, smudged as if an eraser has been scraped across the image. I notice his body is the same way. Actually, everything about him is like that._

_ "Fai," I whisper, sounding relieved. I feel my mind reeling in reality. I grasp for that reality as a foreboding feeling consumes me, and I'm sucked into a sob._

"No!" I gasped, sitting upright. My arm flailed around for someone. My hand hit Yoru's shoulder, and reality splashed over me like cold water, washing away any bits of the dream that I had had. I couldn't so much as remember what it had been about. Yoru stirred, her eyes snapping open at the feel of my panic.

"What's wrong?" she asked, sounding more alert than she should have.

"Nothing," I assured her. "I just need to move around."

"You sure?" Yoru sat up, resting her hand on my shoulder. I smiled, nodding.

"Yes, of course. I just had some weird dream," I replied, waving my hand dismissively. "I'm going to get some fresh air."

"Kairi, we're in Feywood. I don't think the air is going to be any fresher outside than it is in here," Yoru chuckled.

"Maybe," I agreed. "But I can't sit still. I'll be back in a few minutes. Don't worry about it."

"Alright, just let me know if you need me, man," she said, leaning back onto the pillows.

"Will do," I said wiggling to the end of the bed so I didn't wake Kiyo and Leah. Once I was on my feet, I made my way to the balcony using my fire. Once there, I breathed a deep lungful of air. Here, the moonlight filtered through the taller trees a little more. I let the fire on my finger tips die. The quiet sound of a lute floated up towards my ears from down below. A flute accompanied the lute's strums in perfect unison. The sound was carefree, almost like a comforting lullaby. Fireflies floated by, illuminating their surroundings ever so slightly. In the streams of moonlight that lit the calm Center, I could see flecks of what could only be magic. Luminescence glowed from the specks, and I truly felt like I'd stepped into something only seen in Human World movies and books.

Just three hundred yards from our room, I could hear Avalanche still laughing and milling about in their own room. Justuo and Aki were unmistakable, even from such a far distance. Then again, sound seemed to travel much easier in Feywood than anywhere else.

I went to my bag and grabbed my diary from inside. I sat down on the balcony, leaning against tree's walls as I prepared to write. Was that against the Feywood's law? Could someone keep a journal of their time in Feywood? It was a good question that I'd have to ask Justuo or Fayt's parents. In that moment though, I wrote anyway. I described the feel of the constant magic in the air and the beauty of the Elvish language when someone from Feywood spoke it.

It was beautiful. That was the easiest way to put it. After writing several pages describing our first day in Feywood and our excruciatingly long journey, I closed my diary. It was time for bed, and all bits of the dream from before had completely faded away.

I slept in peace the rest of the night.

"Auntie Kairi," I heard in my ear the next morning. I felt a tug on my hair, and I forced my eyes open. Leah was sitting beside Kiyo, who was still very much asleep. I blinked, looking around the sunlit room. I grumbled beneath my breath when my eyes landed on Justuo, who was sitting next to our bed.

"Huh?" I wondered with a yawn.

"Uncle Zephy is here. He said it was time for training," she whispered.

"Are you kidding me?" I groaned, stuffing my face into the pillow.

"Nope," Justuo said softly, keeping his voice low so he didn't wake the others quite yet. "It's time to go train with the Elves."

"Yay," I groaned, flailing for sleep to come back over me.

"Come on, lazy punk," he teased, pulling me from the bed. I hit the floor with a thump and a surprisingly painful hit to the side.

"Hey!" I yelled, blindly thrashing out to hit him. He's already cleared the way and was working on waking Kiyo next. Leah was giggling as I pushed myself up from the floor.

"Justuo, why so mischievous?" I heard Fayt chuckle. I glanced up to see him coming in from the balcony.

Kiyo grunted as Justuo tapped her shoulder gently. "It's time to wake up, Kiyo," he murmured. Yoru sat up, then, looking around like she was surprised to hear so much commotion.

"Why is it always a rude awakening with you guys?" I grumbled, pulling myself back onto the bed. Kiyo stirred before sitting up, grabbing her pillow, and slamming it into Justuo's face.

"What do you want?" she snapped as Justuo laughed from the soft impact of the feathery pillow.

"It's time to wake up, silly," he said.

"What time is it?" she huffed. Justuo squinted through the tree branches.

"Hmm…I'd say around eight in the morning," he commented. "Give or take an hour."

"Don't you have clocks in Feywood?" Leah asked, cocking her head to the side.

"No, we don't have them here. We don't worry about the time in Feywood," Justuo answered, tone softening.

"It's too early for this," Kiyo moaned, falling back onto her pillows.

"Good morning!" Yomi's voice sang. I looked towards the bridge at the right of the room and found Yomi walking towards us. Yami was behind her, looking a little less enthusiastic, and Mizu was last in line, looking the least enthusiastic. All three were completely dressed and ready to go.

"There is nothing good about early mornings," Kiyo grumbled as she wiggled to get comfortable again.

"We've been challenged. I'm not backing down," Mizu said, crossing her arms.

"She's right," Yami pointed out as Kiyo groaned again.

"Okay, okay," I sighed, sitting up completely. My hair fell in messy tangles around my abdomen. "But I'm going to need some time to get ready."

"Agreed." Kiyo's voice was still muffled from the pillow.

"Understandable," Fayt said. "We'll return in awhile so that you can get ready."

"See you soon," Justuo said, but it was mostly directed to Kiyo. The boys left us to get ready.

"Can I just complain for a second?" Kiyo asked, lifting her head from her pillow. "Who in the name of the Fates gets up to train this early?"

"I'm sorry, Kiyo," I chuckled, pulling my bag towards the bed. I dug through the contents, searching for my training outfit. It was a good thing I'd decided to bring it last minute. I had almost not brought it.

Yoru was already dressed by the time I pulled it out of my back pack. She was in loose, black sweats that stopped midway down her calves and a tank top that matched. Yomi and Mizu nearly matched both wearing blue shirts and sweat pants. Yomi's shirt, however, had star embroidery at the bottom. Yami, naturally, had a black and red outfit on. She had red shorts, and a black and red striped shirt. From the looks of it, Yami hadn't been prepared for a training session. She wasn't wearing her usual training outfit.

Kiyo and I dressed, I much quicker than her. She was grumpy, and I kept a mental note to try not to piss her off today. Or at least not this morning.

Kimi and the boys came up to fetch us for training. "So what's for breakfast?" I asked as we finally finished our dissension to the forest floor. I noted Serein had not joined us yet.

"We won't be having breakfast until after training," Aki said.

"Why?" Mizu and Yami asked in unison.

"It is Feavii belief that training rids the body of all impurities," Fayt explained. "So eating before we train would be senseless."

"Alright, that's okay by me," Yami said. "I don't like to eat much in the mornings anyway."

"I'm the same way," Kiyo added, surprising us with a burst of talkativeness. "I feel like I'm going to throw up if I eat too early."

"Exactly." Yami smiled at her in agreement. The trip to the training grounds was shorter than yesterday, or it was to us anyway. It probably just seemed that way because we were all dreading the training session. I had a feeling that Feywood training wouldn't be quite like our normal standards of training.

When we first arrived, I was taken by surprise. Elves and Feavii alike were out and about, tossing each other around and throwing magic at one another. People must've gotten up pretty early here. I picked Serein out of the crowd with Vladamirr. They both seemed to have just finished a spar. She had her long, blonde hair pulled into a beautiful braid that had probably been tied in only minutes, but it still looked perfect. Vladamirr glanced up at our arrival, and Serein's gaze followed his. She beamed before regarding him with a respectful goodbye and making her way through the sparring Elves and Feavii.

Fayt stepped forward to meet her first, but rather than saying anything, they merely stared at one another for a moment. Just by their gaze, I could see the love flowing between the two, but my emotion reading seemed to enforce the obvious feelings flourishing in their presences. I watched as they did another movement that I didn't recognize.

Serein placed two fingers on her lips before extending her free hand to his face. She softly brushed his cheek with enough affection to cause a hiccup of cute-hysteria in me. Then, she placed her index finger on his lips. It was subtle and brief, but I could see that it meant so much more to them than it did to the rest of us.

"That's a way of saying 'I love you' without actually speaking," Justuo explained as some of the other members in Mpopyya drew up blank. The two lovers turned to the rest of us, seemingly escaping the little bubble of reality that only they belonged in.

"So, like this?" Kiyo asked, turning to Justuo. She placed her middle and pointer fingers on her lips before placing her free index finger on his lips. He was slightly surprised, but didn't pull away. He chuckled as she dropped her hands.

"Yes, and I would do like this," he said, placing his own pointer finger on his lips before putting the pointer and middle fingers on his other hand to her lips.

"Why do girls get two fingers while the guys get one?" Mizu asked.

"The number of fingers placed on our lips represents how many souls one has," Fayt began.

"Women are considered to have two because they bear children," Serein continued. "If I were to have a child, then I'd put three finger on my own lips: one for my soul, one for my first born, and the third for any future child a may have."

"Huh," Kiyo said, still looking at Justuo. She dropped his gaze after his hands fell to his side. "Makes sense."

"Hello again, _hasvaniia_," Vladamirr's voice said, calling our attention to him. He didn't look much different than yesterday, with the exception that his clothes had changed. He wore a loose Elven tunic and a pair of long pants made of what had to be stretchy fibers, especially if he planned to train in the outfit he wore. On his back, a long spear rested as if it were meant to be there.

"What does _hasvaniia_ even mean?" Yami asked.

"It's roughly translated to young ones, or younglings," Aki said.

"We aren't that young," Mizu said, crossing her arms.

"Ah, but to an Elf born so many years ago, you are," Vladamirr replied, an easy smile on his face.

"Yeah, Vladamirr is over three hundred years old," Justuo agreed.

"Dang," Yomi muttered under her breath. "We must be children in their eyes."

"You are," Prompto teased.

"So you are here in time for training," Vladamirr said, sounding delighted.

"Don't strive to keep up with us Feavii, now," Justuo chuckled, giving us a joking smile.

"You might pull something," Aki added.

"We are going to try our best," I snapped, crossing my arms, but it was all in good nature. We followed them to the training grounds and started standard warm ups. Standard jumping jacks, standard pushups and crunches, and standard stretching.

At least I thought they were standard until they did three times what we usually did at the castle. The Feavii and Elves kept up easily, and Prompto, Hana, and Akira, though they weren't Feavii or Elvish, didn't even break a sweat. Once push up number fifty came around, I wanted to curl over on my side and die. Kimi, Mizu, Yami, and Kiyo had quit doing pushups at this point, but Yoru and Yomi were still struggling on. I pushed forward, too, refusing to be out done by my protectants.

Leah called out inspiration from a tree branch nearby.

In the end, it didn't matter much. Yoru reached hadn't reached one hundred, but she had reached eighty. I barely made it to sixty-two, and Yomi had quit at sixty. The crunches were the easiest part, though, and all of Mpopyya and Kimi powered through them. My legs and arms were shaking by the time we started our stretches.

And finally, we started sparring. Not that any of us were up for it after such an intense work out. "Come on!" Justuo said, having just broken a sweat by now. "We were just getting warmed up. Now it's time for the real fun."

"Fun?" Kiyo demanded, still breathless. "You call that painstaking torture session fun?"

"Uh, yeah?" Justuo and Aki said in unison. I rolled my eyes before wiping the sweat from my brow.

"That's ridiculous," I panted. "There's no way you can call that fun." Justuo shrugged, a small quirky smile on his lips. The Feywood seemed to bring that out more often than in Zephyr.

"Okay, I give!" Prompto shouted from the sparring circle. My eyes turned to see Hana choking him with a training sword. She released him easily, and he tumbled to the ground before sloppily jumping to his feet, a smile on his face.

"It was a close match," he said quickly, though I could tell Prompto really was hopeless without his guns.

"Yeah, tell that to my wooden _boukan_," Hana replied, crossing her arms as she stored the wooden sword in her dimensional rift.

"Anyone in Mpopyya willing to spar?" Justuo teased.

"No thanks," Mizu said just as Yami said, "I'll pass."

"Not today," I said, raising my arms in defense. Yoru nodded an agreement, and I could tell she was also fatigued.

"I'm not," Kiyo said.

"Nor am I," Yomi replied.

"You're no fun," Aki teased.

"Would you like to take on Vladamirr considering you want more spar matches?" Serein stepped forward, her arms crossed good-naturedly. Aki seemed hesitant at the thought, but his face showed resolve.

"Of course," he replied. "I'm not going to back down from a challenge."

"Spoken like a true Feavii, _hasvan_," Vladamirr chuckled. "But do not expect to not be harmed."

"It's all in good nature," Aki replied smoothly, a smile on his lips. "Don't hold back just because you're worried you'll hurt me."

"I understand. Let us begin." Aki and Vladamirr made their way to the packed dirt circle. He slipped the spear from his back, twirling it with skilled fingers. It was obvious he was very comfortable with it the spear, just like I was with Kuroyasha.

They were silent for several moments before Vladamirr blurred forward. It all happened too fast for my eyes to catch up. Aki took a hit to his shoulder with the end of the spear. A grunt was all that sounded when it made contact, and Aki was already moving in for the next move. He threw a punch right at Vladamirr's face, but he was tossed aside as if it were an insect flying in Vladamirr's face.

"You're going to have to better than that," Vladamirr said, sweeping the spear behind Aki's legs. I quick upwards thrust sent Aki tumbling onto his back. Aki recovered quickly, rolling backwards to bring himself upright on his feet again. He x-blocked the spear, catching the shaft between his crossed forearms. "Not so wise," Vladamirr commented as Aki attempted to twist the spear by turning around and jerking it from his grasp with leverage.

Vladamirr held the spear firmly before kicking Aki right in the back. Aki, stubborn as always, didn't let go. Vladamirr twisted to the side, keeping his grip on the spear. He thrust a side-kick into Aki's back while pulling the spear harder. Aki shouted out in pain, and my hand flew to my mouth; it wasn't often you heard a Feavii make any noise in reference to pain. Aki tumbled to the ground from the inertia of him trying to free the spear from Vladamirr's clutches. A crunch sounded, and I winced to myself.

"Shit, bro!" Prompto called. I noted Justuo's own grimace before he and Prompto darted into the battle. "Tag team! We got your back!"

Aki, obviously having a hard time moving his right arm, moved out of the way as best as he could as Justuo and Prompto challenged Vladamirr in his wake. All in good fun, they claimed later, but like the old saying said; it's all fun and games until someone gets hurt.

Vladamirr, in business mode, apparently, continued to swing and stab that spear of his. I was obvious that the Elf was very skilled with a spear. He nicked Justuo on the cheek with the bladed end at one point, causing Kiyo and I both to cringe in unison. Serein finally called them off one another. They bowed to one another before flocking to Aki.

I followed in pursuit, and Mpopyya wasn't far behind. We gathered around as Vladamirr knelt to Aki's level. "How are you feeling, bro?" Justuo asked, and it was meant to be nonchalant, but Justuo could tell Aki really had gotten hurt.

"I think he broke my arm," Aki said, waving him off with his free arm.

"Sweet," Prompto teased.

"I didn't mean to harm you as I did," Vladamirr said.

"No apologies," Aki warned. "I told you not to hold back."

"You are correct," Vladamirr nodded. "But allow me to heal that for you, _hasvan_." Vladamirr had already grasped his wrist when Aki began to reply.

"Thank you," Aki said, but his face softened quickly under the comfort of healing hands. I knew the feeling; being healed by a healer was an extraordinary experience, and it just made you feel good inside.

Several minutes later, Vladamirr dropped Aki's wrist. I noted his complexion was a shade paler and a thin layer of sweat coated his face. "It is done," he said.

"Thank you," Aki repeated, blinking now that his arm was fixed and the magical buzz of being healed had stopped coursing through his body.

"_Davhana kyu vendu_," Vladamirr said, voice beautifully flowing, as he bowed his head slightly. I assumed he said the equivalent of "you're welcome" in Elvish.

"Is that enough sparring for you?" Serein crooned, helping Aki to his feet.

"It's enough for me and I wasn't even the one to have my arm broken," Yami muttered under her breath.

"I have to agree with Yami on that note," I said, crossing my arms but I couldn't help a smile.

"Then I guess we'll proceed to the Havadara River," Aki replied, a twinkle in his eye.

The Havadara River was a canyon that split Feywood into two halves: the west, where the Elves and Feavii reside, and the east, where the Faeries reside. We had learned that on our way into Feywood, so it was no surprise when Avi recapped for us on our way to the river.

Mpopyya all wore shorts and tank tops with bathing suits on beneath. You'd be surprised what one could get at the castle. There had been no need for us to have any considering we couldn't leave the castle much. I nice pool would've sufficed nicely.

The trip there was surprisingly short. Avi pointed out that it was because Durangeal's main water supply was the Havadara River. It was where the villagers got all their drinking water, cooking water, and even their bath water. It made sense as to why the village was so close to the river.

I heard the rustling water before I saw the sloping banks of the Havadara River. They slanted down dangerously steep, almost forming a canyon around the pretty, blue ribbon of water below. The smell of fresh water flitted through the air, reminding me faintly of days at Smith Mountain Lake in the Human World.

"It's so far down," Kiyo said, her voice cracking with fear.

"It's not so bad," Justuo chuckled as he placed an arm around her shoulders. She scooted closer to him, and I had a feeling it was a subconscious movement. "I can carry you if you'd like."

"No," she declined immediately. "I think it'll be better if I can actually feel my feet on the ground." She paused for just a second before adding, "But you're leading the way."

"Of course," he chuckled. I followed them down the steep cliff-like slopes. Rocky soil the color of tanned skin and clumps of grass littered the path. The smell of the fresh, babbling water and earthy mud made me feel fresh on the inside. I couldn't help but feel good while I was surrounded by my friends and teachers in such a beautiful place.

Thirty feet later down, we reached the river at the bottom in three minutes. Kiyo unclenched her fist hold around Justuo's shirt when we found level ground. At the bottom, the river was wide and gentle, stretching fifty yards across. The flattened area provided a good spot for some of us that didn't plan on getting wet. Several trees provided a nice shady area for protection from the sun that seemed to filter through the trees way above just perfectly for Yami to tan.

"Why don't you give us a water lesson, Fayt?" Mizu asked, eyes sparkling at the sight of water.

"Wow, she's dedicated," Aki teased. "The rest of our students don't really want much in the way of lessons now."

"I love water!" Mizu exclaimed. "I haven't been able to _swim_ in months!" With that, she shed her shorts and jumped into the river without a second thought. When she resurfaced, she crooned in joy. "Now, _this_ is the life!"

"This is why I love you, Mizu," Kiyo laughed as she pulled her shorts and tank top off. She was the second to jump in, resurfacing near Mizu.

"I love you, too, Kiyo!"

"I'm sun bathing for awhile," Yami proclaimed as she also stripped down. She found a spot of soft grass to lie in under the sun.

"I'm right there with you, girl," Kimi said, walking to join her.

"And don't even think about messing with me while I'm laying here, either, boys," Yami warned before lying her head down. Kimi laughed before plopping down beside her. Yoru and I exchanged glances, unsure whether we should jump in yet or not.

"Well, I'm definitely going to wait for Mizu and Kiyo to finish up with their water lesson before I get in," Yomi said. "I'd prefer not to get splashed randomly."

"I think I can agree on that," Yoru said, watching the two already whipping up water.

"I'll stick with you guys," I agreed. We sat in the shady area while Kiyo and Mizu sparred with water. Fayt gave them pointers on techniques and helped to guide their way of attacking. A soft breeze flowed through the area, and I couldn't help but feel comforted.

And I noted how empty my mind felt. I sighed softly, letting my eyes slip closed. It wasn't so bad to have my mind to myself, but in moments like these, it was kinda lonely. I shook off the feelings and focused on the sound of the river and the splashing the girls were making and the laughing and conversing of the Avalanche members nearby.

When Mizu and Kiyo finally finished their training lesson, I got into the water. Yoru and Yomi were a bit more reluctant, but Yoru finally got in anyway. Kiyo and Mizu, who were well used to the water now, swam around like they were in warm waters. I personally thought it was kind of cold.

Once we were in, Avalanche's attention turned back to the river. "Oh, is it finally time for us to get in?" Aki asked.

"I think so, brother," Justuo said. The two of them began ripping their clothes off quickly.

"Calm down, boys," Serein chastised, but she was working towards pulling her shirt off, too. The boys were bare-chested before she could even tell them to calm down, their toned muscles glistening in the warm sunlight. Then their shorts came off, and I couldn't help but notice that Aki and Justuo were both wearing _boxers_ instead of swimming trunks. I raised an eyebrow at them, wondering why they hadn't brought the proper attire for swimming.

Then, like it was completely normal, they began to pull their boxers off. I squealed, looking away before I could be mentally scarred. "What in the hell are you doing?!" I demanded, refusing to look towards them. Yomi was so mortified that no words came out of her gaping mouth. She, like me, had turned to face the opposite side of the river.

"Getting in?" Justuo's voice questioned.

"Why are you taking off your boxers?!" Kiyo demanded.

"We always do," Aki replied easily, and I imagined him shrugging a shoulder as he said it.

"No, no, no," I said, shaking my head. "That's too awkward."

"Don't get all hot and bothered, Kairi," Serein chuckled from farther away than the boys. "We'll keep our clothes on just for Mpopyya, then."

"Do you usually just strip down and swim together naked?" Yoru asked.

"Yes," Fayt began, "we don't find any awkwardness in the act. We are born as we are, so there is nothing to be ashamed about."

"What a philosophy," I heard Kiyo mutter. I'm sure she was as surprised as I was, but I tried my best not to show it.

I snuck a glance towards the Elves and Feavii, and relief flooded me when I saw that they were still dressed – for the most part – and stepping into the cool water. Justuo lunged for me, and I made a small cry of surprise before trying to flee in vain. He shoved me under the water, and I drug my nails into his arm before kicking him away from me. His grasp broke, and I pushed myself to the surface, surprised at the deep drop the river made below.

"What a loser," Justuo teased. "You didn't get away fast enough, Kairi. If I'd been Midnight, you'd be pushing up daisies."

"Oh please," I muttered, crossing my arms.

"Are you at it again, Justuo?" I heard a new voice say from behind. I spun around, and my gaze landed on a young looking girl. She had long, blue-green hair like seaweed at the bottom of an ocean. She was perched on a rock near the center of the river, crouching down as if she were a hunter ready to prey, but her stance and aura both showed a playful, innocence that radiated in her features. She had blue eyes with greenish flecks that seemed to speckle her entire iris.

"Maybe," he replied. "We have guest, I'm sure you've heard."

"I have," she said, a smile pulling at the corners of her mouth. "I'm Faelia." It was directed towards me, the closest of Mpopyya to her.

"Faelia is a friend of ours we often meet up with by the Havadara River," Fayt explained. "Faelia, meet Mpopyya."

"Hi," I said, doing my best to sort through the possibilities of her species. If she wasn't a Faerie, she had to be a Faerie Dominant Feavii. But as she stood to her full height, I noted she was much too short to be a Feavii. She could only be about four and a half feet tall, if that. She, like Selenia at the Edge's Guard, wore plant-like clothing that covered the necessities. On the opposite side of the river, where she'd obviously had to have come from, a bow rested on a branch. She must've left it over there in fear of it falling into the Havadara River.

"And I'm Kiyo," I heard Kiyo say.

"Are you going to introduce yourself?" Serein laughed, tapping my shoulder lightly, almost like it was my turn. I glanced at the other members of Mpopyya, and they were watching me expectantly.

"Oh," I said, blinking back to the introduction. I looked back to Faelia and smiled. "I'm Kairi."

"Well it's nice to see new faces for once," she said, rocking back on her heels. I noted she wore soft-looking boots made of a leather-like material. They looked comfortable.

"I bet your father wouldn't agree," Justuo chuckled. "He's not very keen on letting outsiders into Feywood."

"Yeah, but I'm sure he'd be nice if you wanted to come by later?" she offered.

"We can't today," Aki said. "We have a dinner to attend at the Ooromiss house."

"That sounds like it'll be fun," Faelia said.

"You could always come back with us?" Justuo offered.

"Hmm…" She looked off to the other side of the river for a few seconds before turning back. "I'd have to ask permission from _nil_ _undtay_," she said.

_Her father,_ I thought to myself, remembering Fayt referring to his father the same way.

"Okay, you're free to come," Serein said, a smile as pretty as always lighting up her face in that uncanny way of always looking perfect. "I'm sure my mother wouldn't mind the extra guest."

"I'll get permission and come if I'm allowed, then," she said. "_Naven davhana_."

"You're always welcome," Serein said.

_So _naven davhana_ is some way of saying thanks_, I thought to myself.

"I must be going, though," Faelia said almost apologetically. "I'm sure _nil_ _undtay_ is wondering why I haven't come home yet."

"It was good meeting you!" Kiyo said, and I nodded in agreement.

"Maybe we will see you later," I offered.

"Hopefully," she laughed. "Bye Avalanche and…" She scrutinized our name for a second before attempting to say "Mpopyya." Her Elvish accent made it sound a little bit distorted, but she had said it right, at least.

"Bye!" we all called in unison. She gave a wave before leaping – _all the way _– back to the other side of the river. She landed on the bank with ease before scooping up her bow and giving a final wave back to us.

"Did she really just make that jump?" Mizu asked, eyes wide.

"Feavii, Faeries, and Elves can jump a lot farther than Humans can, Mizu," Prompto said.

"But she was so small," Yami said, agreeing with Mizu.

"I know, right?!" Yomi said, motioning towards where she had disappeared into the woods.

"Small packages pack a big punch around here," Hana said, a smile forming on her lips.

"She seems nice," I said, a bit off the subject. "I hope she gets to come to dinner with us tonight."

"I do, too," Kiyo said.


	59. Dinner with Oroomiss

_**Chapter Fifty-Eight: Dinner with Oroomiss**_

My hair dripped with water as we made our way up the rocky canyon path. Mizu was gushing incessantly about the feel of magic in the water and how rejuvenated she felt now that she'd been in water. Kiyo nodded and commented when she could slip a word or sentence in. Justuo and the rest of the Avalanche members seemed both amused and happy at the chatter. I think they were happy to let us into their world.

Yomi fell in step with Yoru and me. Leah was at her side, holding onto her arm for support up the inclining slope. "That was pretty fun," Yomi admitted. "But I can't shake off all the stares I keep getting, you know?" I nodded quickly.

"I feel the same way. It's like we're some kind of new specimen," I commented.

"Well, I think Yomi's situation is a little different than ours," Yoru pointed out. "She is half-Vampyre. Most Feavii and Elves regard Vampires and Vampyres with a 'y' as a threat. They're probably unsettled by her presence."

"I didn't even do anything," Yomi said, glumly crossing her arms.

"I don't know why they're so scared of Auntie Yomi," Leah said with a small shrug. "You're so nice to everyone."

"Well, Leah, it's just in their nature not to like one another," I tried to explain. "Feavii, Elves, and Faeries just don't get along with Vampires very well."

"I guess that's why Uncle Zephy and Auntie Yomi don't get along," Leah said softly.

"You're right," Yomi said smiling down at her.

"I have to change before we got to dinner," Yami proclaimed from somewhere behind us. We turned to face her and the others.

"Yeah, I don't want to want to eat dinner while I'm wet," Kiyo agreed. "I feel gross."

"It's funny that you say that," Aki chuckled. "The water from the Havadara River is our main source of water throughout all of Feywood. We even use it in our baths in Durangeal."

"I just mean that I don't like being wet much," Kiyo explained.

"I do," Mizu said, unashamed.

"We know, Mizu," Yomi giggled.

"You would," Prompto teased.

"We figured you'd like to get changed before dinner, anyway," Justuo said before anyone else could continue the conversation.

"How thoughtful of you," I said, crossing my arms with a playful smirk.

"I can be considerate when I want to be," he defended.

"Barely!" Kiyo added, nudging him just as Kimi said, "Oh yeah, right!"

"No kidding!" Yomi agreed offering a high-five to Kiyo.

"I don't think 'considerate' is the right word used to describe you, Justuo," Hana said, raising an amused eyebrow at him.

"Burn," Aki and Prompto chuckled. Hana turned her gaze on them, a little less amused than before. They quickly sobered, and turned from her.

"Sure, sure," Justuo said huffing dramatically, all in good humor. I couldn't help but smile.

"Fayt, take the lead with me?" Serein said, offering her hand to him. He took it, stepping to the front of the group, and the rest of us fell in step with them. Leah, seemingly tired, was lifted onto Yomi's back after mentioning her feet were starting to hurt.

At the top of the inclination, we stopped for a quick rest; Kiyo, Yami, and Mizu were slightly winded. I lit my hand on fire and started working to dry myself as we waited. "Nifty idea, Kairi," Yomi said.

"Of you could just have Mizu or Kiyo to remove the water," Fayt inclined.

"Also a good idea," Yomi admitted.

"Justuo!" a voice shouted. I whipped around to see a little red blur launch itself at Justuo. He grunted a bit, step back at the impact, but laughed afterwards. Dameon stood before us, his red and orange hair dyed hair mussed from playing around all day outside, I assumed.

"Hey buddy," Justuo said, ruffling his hair further. He jerked away playfully. Justuo had told us Dameon was only ten years old, but the boy could pack a hard punch for someone so small; that had been the day he had come to the castle to play with Leah. Yomi, Mizu, and Yami had never met him, though, and it showed on their faces as they took the energetic boy in.

"I've been working so hard on learning fire that I can almost keep it alive on my hand for a full minute!" he bragged. Yomi raised a questioning eyebrow at Dameon, but he was too fully engrossed in Avi's attention to really notice us.

That is, until he heard Leah talk. "Hi Dameon," she said, smiling and waving to him from Yomi's shoulders. He glanced back at her, and a smile spread across his face.

"Leah, what are you doing here?" he asked, striding over towards Mpopyya. He froze, then, and I guessed he realized Yomi was a Vampyre, an "intruder in Feywood" as he'd say. "You!" he exclaimed, stepping back in surprise. He took on an offensive fighting stance immediately, and I gasped at the reaction.

"What the heck?" Yomi said, stepping back. "Why's this kid looking at me that?"

"I can't believe that this leech has the guts to mess with Leah!" Dameon snapped.

"Hey, I've heard enough of that word," Yomi growled in frustration. "I don't even drink blood! Listen, kid, what do you want?"

"I challenge you for the right of Leah's protection!" he declared.

"Is this guy serious?" Yomi muttered to herself.

Kiyo quickly grabbed Leah from Yomi's soldiers. "I don't think that's necessary," I said, stepping forward.

"No, if the kid wants a spar, I'll give him spar," Yomi said, snapping her fingers to light her right hand on fire.

"I never back down from a challenge!" Dameon replied proudly.

"He's stronger than he looks, Kiyomi," Serein warned, but she had an amused smile.

"I don't care," she said heatedly. "I am tired of being grouped into the same group as the rest of the Vampires in this world!" I felt a small bubble of sympathy rise in my stomach. Her eyes glittered golden, and I knew she was seriously tired of the name calling and automatic assumption of evil.

And with that, the spar ensued. My mouth dropped open as they both blurred. Dameon was damn fast for a little kid, almost as fast as an adolescent half-Vampyre. There was only a fraction of a difference between the two, and I had to force myself to stop fidgeting every time Dameon landed a blow on her. They blurred so fast that it was hard to keep up with my slower eyes.

After several blows from both Vampyre and Feavii, they stilled. Yomi had Dameon pinned to the ground, just barely keeping the struggling ball of energy from knocking her off of him. "Jeez, kid, stop moving," she grunted. Finally, she just wiggled around enough to sit on him.

"You better just give up before you wear yourself down, Dameon," Hana chastised. "Don't want to be worn out before nightfall."

"Ugh!" he groaned. "You win." He paused before adding, "But only for now!" Yomi, with a smug smile stood up. She and Dameon dusted themselves off before he faced her again. Dirt smudged his face more so than it had before.

"You're pretty good for a Halfie," he said nonchalantly. Yomi looked outraged.

"Why you little-," she began before stopping and blinking. "How did you know I was a Half-Vampyre instead of whole? Actually, how did you know I was any fragment of Vampyre in the first place?"

"Your scent gives it all away," he said smugly, crossing his arms in satisfaction. "What, could you not tell I was Feavii or something?"

"You all smell the same!" she said in frustration. "Trees, woods, dirt, leaves, and morning dew. Kinda."

"Nope, wrong," Dameon said matter-of-factly.

"This kid is infuriating," Yomi grumbled.

"Once you spend enough time around us, you start to smell the small differences," Fayt explained, a small polite smile directed towards her. Then, he turned to Dameon, a stern look on his face. "You should be kinder to guests, Dameon."

"Yeah, he's right," Justuo agreed. "Yomi may be a Vampyre and your instincts may say otherwise, but she's an ally. Sometimes you have to see past instinct to make allies, especially in this day and time."

Yomi aura shined with surprise and gratefulness, but she didn't show it on the outside. I smiled to myself.

Dameon followed us back to the Center. Once there, he convinced Kiyo to let Leah go play with him around the village. Kiyo wasn't very keen on letting her go, but Justuo assured her that no harm would come of her, especially here in Feywood.

We went back to our rooms for showers. The floor above our bedroom served as the bathing area. Tree limbs and branches grew in a way to make a natural ladder up to the next floor of the canopy. Fayt showed me to the shower. I was a bit surprised when I saw what he considered a shower, though. They weren't really showers at all, but more like bath tubs that you had to stand up in. A deep notch in the floor served as the shower. Steep steps led to the bottom of the shower. The floor above came to neck, and I couldn't help be feel a little squeamish. There was plenty of room for me to move around and rinse my body and hair, but it was just smaller than what I was used to.

Fayt explained that the water that came down from the top was hand-poured down from a higher floor. It passed over a heated stone, warming the water on its way down. The water would fill the shower up, stopping at my shoulders. I thanked him for the trouble, and he left me to "shower" in peace.

"The showers were weird," Yomi muttered to Kiyo when she came to our room from across the swinging bridge, hair wet and dripping.

"I know right?" Kiyo agreed. "It was strange."

"I kinda liked it," Mizu said, emerging from behind Yomi.

"I think it's creative," Yoru admitted. She was beside me on the bed, brushing through her hair.

"I have to agree with you," I said. "I can't believe that they worked out a system like that without running water!"

"Are you girls dressed?" a call came from below. It was Justuo

Kiyo, feeling playful, I assumed, called, "Come up here and find out!"

"Yeah, Justuo," Mizu crooned.

"Wow, guys," Yomi said, pressing her palm to her forehead.

"Yes, we're dressed!" I called. Yami came across the bridge then, her face damp from the water droplets falling from her red tips.

"You know, that was frustrating," she said. "The shower was so small!"

"I thought it was a little cramped, too," I chuckled. Justuo pulled himself up to our room, looking oddly graceful in the movement.

"Are you ready for the dinner?" he asked, looking at Kiyo.

"I guess we are," she said glancing to the rest of us. "Is Kimi ready?"

"Yeah, she's already down there with Aki," Justuo replied.

"Awesome," I said, smiling. "Ready guys?" A round of agreement went around the room before Justuo began his descent down the ladder. We followed, one at a time, until all of Mpopyya were on the ground.

Leah came running up to us with Dameon and another young girl on her heels. The other girl had long black hair and silver eyes. Pointed ears poked from behind the curtain of hair around her face, and I couldn't decide whether she was an Elf or a Feavii. She seemed about the same age as Dameon.

Dameon and Leah were both grinning, and Leah had a handful of flowers that were foreign to me. "Dameon got these from a really tall hill that I could climb up. She said I could have them cause there were lots of them around here." She held them out to Kiyo, whose smile was probably bigger than Leah's.

"That's nice of him," she said, looking to him. Yomi kept her arms crossed while Dameon was so near. I hid a smile with a fake yawn. I sensed a rivalry could form between the two easily. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Navia," Leah said, turning to face her. She smiled at the greeting. "She and Dameon are friends."

"It's nice to meet the guests from outside our borders," she said. She glanced at Yomi for only a second longer than she did the rest of us.

"Thank you," Kiyo said.

"I'll see you later, Navia," Dameon said, waving, which was strange. I hadn't seen many Elves or Feavii wave. Faelia had, but I still wasn't sure why it was so…off. "We have to go to dinner with Lady Oroomiss."

"I'll see you later then, Dameon, Leah," she said. "Goodbye." That was directed to the rest of us.

When she was gone, Justuo said, "Ready for dinner?"

"Yes!" several members of Mpopyya exclaimed.

We headed for the Oroomiss home, then, ready for food on our stomachs.

Serein's parents' house, unlike the guest houses we were staying in, was on the ground, and pretty big in comparison to some of the other homes I'd seen in Feywood. Justuo told us it was because Serein's mom was part of the Royal Guard, and all Royal Guard members received nice housing on the behalf of the princess and council of Feywood.

Serein's mom, who went by just Oroomiss, was tall and slender, but she was very tone and fit. She had long blond hair that reminded me a lot of Serein's. She had an air to her that made her seem very professional, almost stoic. Her eyes were the color of almonds with pretty blue flecks throughout the iris. When she welcomed us, she wore a polite smile.

"I hear we will be having several extra guests as well," she added upon touring us through her house and to the sitting room. "Serein invited Eryk Silimaure and Faelia Silversky."

"I wonder why she invited Eryk," I heard Kimi mutter to herself. We entered the living room-like area where Serein, Fayt, and several other Avalanche members were speaking with a man – or Elf rather – with cropped, white hair and eyes that mirrored Serein's perfectly.

"It is good of you and Fayt to help with our preparations," the man was saying. Serein laughed that perfect laugh of hers.

"It was no problem at all, Father," she said. She then stood, as if on cue and walked over to Oroomiss. "This is Mpopyya." Her father stood, following her to our sides. "Mpopyya, this is my father, Eyontu Oroomiss."

"I see. You must be Kairi, the girl with the pink hair that everyone keeps talking about around here," he chuckled.

"That would be me, sir," I replied kindly.

"This is Kiyo, Yoru, Mizu, Yami, Yomi, and Kimi." Serein pointed to each of us as she spoke.

"Don't forget about Leah," Dameon said defensively.

"Calm down, kid," Justuo said, pushing down on his red and orange haired head. "She was getting there."

"Knock it off," Dameon laughed, nudging at Justuo's firm hand.

"And, that is Leah," Serein finished, ignoring the two bickering Feavii.

"It's a pleasure to have such wonderful guests join us for dinner," he said, and I could tell he genuinely meant it. "Eryk and Faelia will be joining us, then?"

"Both will be," Prompto's voice said from behind us. I flinched in surprise, not having notice he had come into the room. Akira was beside him, arms crossed loosely over his chest. "We talked to Faelia after she asked. Her mom and dad said she could come."

"And Eryk is off duty now. He's on the way, actually," Akira continued.

"Sounds good," Serein said seemingly extra chipper than before. I saw a mischievous glint in her eyes when Akira had mentioned Eryk. She was up to something, I realized. And with the way she kept eying Kimi, I had a feeling I knew what she was up to. I smiled to myself in response to the answer in my head.

Faelia showed up minutes later. She wore legging-like pants made of some kind of organic material and a loose shirt seemingly made of the same material. "Hello," she greeted when she came through the door with Oroomiss. "Eryk is just outside. He's speaking with Mr. Oroomiss and Serein."

"So the guests have arrived then?" Fayt asked of Oroomiss.

"Yes, shall we dine, then?"

Dinner was fantastic. Oroomiss had even gone so far as to specially order meats from Mr. and Mrs. Godwing's general store. The table we sat at was oak, long and smoothed out as if made by hand, but the table grew up from the floor, as a part of the hollowed tree home itself. Plates and platters of dishes I'd never heard of and some that were slightly familiar lined the table in a colorful array. Serein steered Kimi to a seat next to her; Eryk sat on the other side of Kimi.

It was obvious I'd be sitting next to Mpopyya members. We were grouped together at the end of the table where the meat was. Kiyo and Justuo were next to one another, too, unsurprisingly. The dinner consisted of the same unending question that we'd heard ever since we were here; how are you enjoying the stay? We were having a blast, of course.

"So what do you do for a living, Mr. Oroomiss?" Kiyo asked as she nibbled on a carrot.

"Please, call me Eyontu," he said with a smile. "There is no need to be so formal. And I usually spend my days reading or studying. I do not work, so to speak, but I do collect trinkets."

"A nice little trait Serein picked up from him," Prompto commented with a smile. She also smiled, almost devilishly before turning back to Eryk and Kimi, who had started up their own conversation.

"I really like it here," Kimi commented. "Feywood seems so calm and relaxing."

"Maybe to you," Eryk chuckled. "It can be slightly tense when you work on the Edge's Guard."

"I can only imagine," Kimi said, shaking her head. "That's got to be a tough job, you know?"

I turned from the conversation, focusing on the rest of my friends and my food. Faelia smiled when my eyes landed on her. "So I hear you're training to be a Guardian?"

"Yep," I said with a nod, and I felt my mouth twitch into a smile that she had heard something so honoring. "I'm training to be Kiyo's Guardian." I pointed to Kiyo, who was in the middle of a babble towards Justuo about how her fire skills were improving.

"Sounds like you're serious about it," she commented.

"Yeah, I really want to do well. I don't want to let her or Ash down," I agreed.

"I'm hoping that one day I can be a part of the Royal Guard," Faelia admitted.

"And the Royal Guard is…different than the Edge's Guard, right?" I said, trying to sift through all the Feywood information coursing through my mind.

"Yes, the Royal Guard is what protects the Princess and Royal Council of Feywood," she explained. "I think it'd be pretty cool if I could learn to do some of the awesome things Oroomiss can do." A flare of excitement rushed through her emotional energy field, and I couldn't help but smile again.

"That's awesome. I hope it works out for you."

"You too," she said.

"Kairi also has an interest to learn Light," I heard Fayt saying, just loud enough for me to hear. I turned my gaze to him, feeling a slight flush spread across my cheeks when all eyes landed on me, including his.

"Really?" Oroomiss seemed a little more impressed than I would have expected. "Not many know that of such ancient magics." Kiyo's eyes were wide with shock; I hadn't told her my revelation I'd had on our journey here.

"Well, I just figure since I'm training to be Kiyo's Guardian that it would be appropriate to have something that can negate Darkness just in case."

"Well thought out, _hasvan_," Oroomiss said with a single nod. "But where will you learn?"

"I haven't thought of how I'll learn yet," I reply with a shrug. "Clover, in Lord Ash's Inner Circle, has an affinity for it, so I guess that's where I'll start."

"I'm sure Tobi would know something on the subject," Eyontu threw in. "He is quite the researcher, that Tobi."

"You know, now that you mention it, I'm pretty sure he _does_ have a book on ancient magic," Justuo said thoughtfully. "Maybe we can get him to bring some books on magic to Durangeal tomorrow before you're due to leave the next day."

"That would be great!" I exclaimed. My face was over taken by a broad smile. Fayt met my smile with one of his own. In his eyes and emotional field I could practically hear him saying, _I figured it would be a good start to making your dream a reality._

I sent a grateful look in his direction, almost too jittery to eat now. Kiyo, who was watching me with careful eyes, looked down when she saw me notice. Only a few moments passed before she fell back into conversation with Justuo again.

Crackling sounded as Justuo tossed another large stone into the fire pit before us. It flared up, warmth crawling over me in an almost gentle way. It wasn't over powering, like the kind of fire that if you sat close to it then you'd feel feverish and start sweating. The fire also wasn't burning on wood. The Elves discovered a special rock hundreds and hundreds of years ago burned just as good as wood did, almost like coal. The fire that burned wasn't hot enough to burn trees, so Elves and Feavii often used the rocks in their wooden homes without fear of burning the tree and themselves to death.

The soft glow of the large fire pit was comforting as Eyontu strummed tunes on his loot across from me. Beside him, Serein blew through an ocarina with careful breath. Mpopyya listened, though we were exhausted from the long day. It was a good thing tomorrow was our free day here. Kiyo and Justuo were next to one another, and she could barely keep her eyes open. Every once in a while, she'd begin to nod off, and Justuo would touch her shoulder to wake her up, offering to take her back to the room. She'd deny, of course, and until we were ready for bed as well, she wouldn't go.

Yomi watched them like a hawk. I almost felt the need to distract her from them, though I didn't approve of Kiyo and Justuo flirting it up while Kiyo was with Ash. Kimi and Eryk, sititng next to Serein as she whistled through her ocarina, talked nearly silently to among themselves, eyes alit with wonder. Leah had fallen asleep on Mizu's lap, and, and Dameon wasn't far away, his head resting on the log Mizu sat on. He had fallen asleep, too, and it was strange to see the young Feavii that usually bounced and bounded all over to place so calm and peaceful.

Weariness was beginning drag my own eyelids. I sighed to myself, figuring it would be best to head to bed soon anyway. I stood, gathering the attention of several members of Avi as well as Mpopyya.

"I think I'm going to go to bed," I declared. "It's getting late, and I have a lot I want to get done tomorrow."

"Good," Justuo said. "Kiyo has been dozing off the entire time." He chuckled as Kiyo gave him a cross look.

"I have not!" she denied, her voice showing the opposite. "But I'm tired, so it's a good thing you're going. I'll come along."

"Might as well go, too," Yami said, yawning. "It's way past my normal bed time."

"You sound like a child," Prompto teased.

Yami crinkled her nose at him. "If I don't get enough sleep, I'm completely useless the next day."

"It's true," Mizu agreed. "She gets grumpy and can barely get anything useful done."

"See?" Yami said, pointing to Mizu. "I told you. Now, goodnight."

"Thank you for dinner, Eyontu, Serein," Yoru said politely. She had stood with me, just as Mizu and Yami had before. "It was very wonderful."

"Not a problem at all," Serein said with a smile. Yomi stood then, having not said a word ever since we'd arrived by the fire. She still didn't say anything, even as we said out goodnights and left the fire circle. When we got to the tree we'd been staying, Yomi actually turned the other way, and began walking back.

"Yomi? What're you doing?" I asked.

"Going to take a walk," she replied. "I'll be up in a little while."

"Are you alright?" I asked, hesitating at the ladder.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Anyway, I'll see you later, Kairi."

"Okay, if you say so," I said. "Goodnight, Yomi."

"Goodnight, Kairi."

The dreamless sleep was such a comfort that I couldn't help sleeping later than I had planned to. When I woke, Yoru and Leah were gone. Kiyo was still snuggled under the soft blankets, resting still. I wouldn't wake her. I stood, dressed, and made my way down to the ground. When I turned to start toward the Center, I nearly screamed. Serein stood before me, her blond hair loose around her. I hadn't noticed her until just then.

"Oh, I didn't mean to startle you," she said quickly.

"No, it's not a problem," I said, shaking off my surprise.

"I was coming to fetch you, actually," Serein mused. "Tobi is here."

"Really?" I asked, eyes widening. I'd heard a lot about Tobi from Justuo and other members of Avi. He was old and wise and apparently very scholarly.

"Yes," she chuckled. "He's waiting at the Godwing's General store with the rest of Avalanche and Mpopyya." She paused before adding, "That is, except for Kiyo."

"Of course," I agreed with a smile. She led the way to Fayt's parent's general store as I followed. The morning couldn't be too late, I realized, though many Feavii and Elves seemed to have been up and moving hours ago. Mpopyya, when we met up with them, had a slower, almost sluggish move about them. They couldn't have been up for very long.

Justuo was talking to an Elf with a long black pony tail and spectacles that road the bridge of his nose. He glanced over at my approach. This had to be Tobi. He was tall and slender, reaching about six feet and two inches; much taller than Justuo. "Ah, this must be Kairi."

I raised an unsure eyebrow before nodding. "Yeah, that's me."

"Your hair is what told me," he said with a knowing smile, motioning to my rat's nest of a head. I quickly ran my fingers through it, self-conscious that he'd pointed out its flamboyant color – and in turn, its messiness. "I have heard much talk of you and your friends. In case you haven't realized, I am Tobi Braisaer."

"I've heard a lot about you, too, Sir," I replied. He held his hand out, and I held mine out to meet his. He grasped my forearm for just a few moments, and I waited, unsure whether we were supposed to shake forearms or just hold one another's. He released my arm before I could speculate any further.

"Please, just call me Tobi, Kairi," he said. "No need for formalities among friends."

"If you say so, Tobi," I replied. A ball of nervousness welled up in my stomach. I was meeting someone that Justuo, Aki, and Hana looked up to for guidance. It fascinated me and worried me at the same time. I wanted to make a good impression on him.

"Fayt tells me you have taken a liking to older magics," he continued. "I may be able to help you there, _hasvan_." From his leaf-fibered bag, he produced a thick book, bound in leather and tied together by worn, nearly tattered leather cords. "This is a book a came across in my studies. I recovered it after a battle many, many moons ago. I've read it more times than I can count, so you can have it for your own use now."

"_Have_ it? Can I really?" I was surprised by his words. I was just going to borrow the book for some reading, and I wasn't expecting him to give it to me.

"By all means, of course!" he chuckled, seeming to catch onto my bewilderment. "I have the whole thing practically memorized by now anyway." He extended the ancient-looking tome.

"Thank you so much!" I said taking the book into my hands. It was warm, and the leather was soft and worn. "I really appreciate it."

"It is no problem at all, young one." He turned to Justuo. "How long did you say your stay would be?"

"We leave tomorrow morning," he supplied.

"I see," Tobi said with a nod. "I'm sure there wouldn't be any problem with me staying in the guest housing for a night or so. I believe I'll see you off."

"That would be a treat, Tobi," Fayt's mother said kindly. "It would be splendid to have you in Durangeal for a time."

"The pleasure would be mine, in all honesty. Too many long hours with books will leave a man starved of social interaction," Tobi said with a matter-of-fact tone. I looked past Mrs. Godwing to see her husband coming out from behind the counter carrying a bundle of cloth in his arms. He walked to a shelf, placing two rocks before him. He unfurled the bundle of cloth, revealing a beautiful wooden bow that gleamed in the morning light. It was made of a kind of dark wood, polished and strung as he hoisted on the rocks. They made the perfect cradle for it on the display shelf.

Yoru followed my gaze to the bow, and before I knew it she was nudging me. "You should get it if it catches your eye for that long."

I looked up, surprised that she had noticed my reverie. "I really like that bow," I said. "It's pretty."

Fayt's father glanced up at my words. "You like it?" he asked. A smile formed on his lips. "It's a new one we got in today. You are welcome to give it a try."

"I don't know much about bows," I said hastily, putting my arms up. "I just like the way it looks." My gaze returned to the bow and its glimmer.

"Fayt, Serein, or Justuo would be more than willing to help teach you," Mr. Godwing said. "Right, _hasvaniia_?" The three nodded in unison.

"Of course," Justuo said. "I was planning on teaching Kiyo some things today, actually. I wouldn't mind teaching you some when we get back to the castle."

"Really?" I asked, looking at him. Sincerity showed in his eyes. "Alright, I think I'll buy it then."

Justuo's Point of View

I was far too excited to be teaching Kiyo how to properly use a bow today. When we were all sitting around the fire last night, she had mentioned she wanted to master using a bow. Me, being an idiot, jumped at the chance to teach her. It was obvious to everyone what game I was playing at. Even Mpopyya noticed. My mind strayed back to the conversation I had had with Aki, Prompto, and Hana last night on our way back to the guest house.

_ "Aw, you're going to get some," Aki laughed as we headed back towards the village away from the campfire._

_ "Hooking up with the King's girl, that's so hot man," Prompto joined in. I couldn't help, but smile at their stupidity._

_ "Will you morons shut up?! Justuo is not going to get anything because he respects the fact that Kiyo is in a committed relationship and is under a lot of pressure. He isn't going to upset her by making it obvious that he wants her to be with him, right Justuo?" Hana asked, as she turned her glare on me. Aki and Prompto, a little less prompted to continue on blabbering, looked towards me to see what I would say. _

_ "Of course, Hana. I would never dream of trying to win her back while she's with Ash," I said with sarcasm. Aki slapped me on the back. _

_ "You got this, dude. She still has feelings for you, too. Everyone can see it," he said. _

_ "He's right, Justuo. That girl wants your di-," Prompto started, but before he could finish, a rock was thrown into the back of his head with surprising strength. He cursed and grabbed at his head. _

_ "Damn Hana, did you have to hit me so hard?" he asked. _

_ "I didn't hit you," Hana said, though it was hard to believe her when she had such a nonchalant voice. _

_ "Well, then who did?" he demanded. _

_ "You know, I'm getting pretty good at this whole being-a-super-quiet-Vampyre thing," Yomi said from a few feet behind us. We all quickly turned to face her. The bitch had been spying on us, I realized._

_ "You were eavesdropping on us?!" I spat. _

_ "No, I was heading back to the guest house to go to bed, and I overheard you talking about one of my best friends and my queen. I have a right to hear what you were saying about her," she said smugly as she crossed her arms over her chest. I never wanted to hit a girl more than I did right there. _

_ "Get out of here leech. We can talk about who we please. We serve no queen," Aki snapped. _

_ "That's interesting because you sure do spend a whole lot of time protecting a queen you don't serve. Oh and before you go around talking about Ash and Kiyo out in the open where anyone can hear, I suggest you remember that I'm Kiyo's right hand, and I am personally connected to both her and Ash. And I'm sure Ash would love to know what you've been saying about his love," she said while smiling sweetly at us. We were all speechless for a moment. I wanted to smack that smug smile off her face, but I couldn't because Kiyo would be very upset with me. Instead, I walked towards her and got right in her face. _

_ "We serve people who can't take care of themselves. What does that say about your precious Ash considering he can't take care of his own love," I said slowly emphasizing each word, so her small mind could understand it._

_ "That's really funny, because when you couldn't take care of her, guess who picked up the pieces you broke?" she said fiercely as a glare formed in her eyes. Then she marched away from us without another word. _

I quickly shook the memory from my head. I leaned back against the tree waiting for Kiyo to reach the clearing. I'd sent Serein to get her after Kairi had broken down about bought her own bow. She even bought herself an Elven traveling cloak – and Mpopyya followed in her wake. I personally liked Elvish fashion.

I could hear her heartbeat growing closer and I could smell her sweet scent as the wind blew. She came into the clearing in the next minute. She smiled at me as she met my eyes.

"Hey," Kiyo said exuberantly as she ran up to greet me. I wanted to reach and pull her against me, but I controlled myself.

"Hey cutie, you seem especially light today," I said, raising an eyebrow at her. She laughed.

"Is there something wrong with being happy?" she asked. She had a good point. It was nice to see her happy, truly happy. I hadn't seen her so at ease since before we broke up.

"It's just refreshing to see you in such a good mood," I said reaching out to touch her cheek gently. She blushed, but only just enough for me to notice. Kiyo grabbed my hand and started pulling me towards the middle of the clearing.

"Come on, come on, lazy bum! I want to learn how to use a bow," Kiyo exclaimed as we reached the center of the clearing. She looked around expectantly and frowned, "Where's the bow and arrows you said you were bringing?" she asked quizzically. I gave her a wry smile.

"Oh, I don't know. Leaving it right here in the open would have been too easy for you. I thought you might need a new skill," I said innocently as she glared at me.

"Where are they?" she said with just a twinge of annoyance. I laughed out loud and pointed to the tree I had been leaning against.

"In that tree," I said grinning at her. "The only way you can get them down is to climb the tree," I said matter-of-factly. I watched her expression go from one of fear to outrage.

"I am not climbing that tree! I'll fall and die," she exclaimed, glaring at me while she crossed her arms. I couldn't help the laugh that followed her words. She looked like a pouty three year old. All that was missing was the foot stomp.

"If you want to learn how to use the bow you are," I said.

"Justuo, I can't. You know I'm scared of heights. Plus, putting a klutzy, uncoordinated girl in a tree kinda seems like a bad idea to me," she said, all trace of anger gone. She just looked frightened. I wanted to take it all back and just get the bow myself, but I couldn't. I knew she needed to learn how to do things like this. I walked closer to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"You can do this. I believe in you," I said. She looked over my shoulder at the tree suspiciously, then back to my face.

"Okay," she tentatively agreed. We walked over to the base of the tree. I walked her through the steps of how to get up to the first branch, and the rest of it was basically to just watch where you step and to pull yourself to the next branch. The bow was resting a good halfway up the tree.

Kiyo swung herself up onto the first branch with surprising ease. All that training must have been helping her a lot more than I thought. Speaking of training, that made me notice how the rest of her body had gotten more toned, and she had lost a couple pounds, not that she needed to or anything. It had been awhile since I took the chance to really look at her, almost a year. She had grown up in that time frame. Her body had filled out nicely, not that her chest needed to grow anymore bigger, but the rest of her had curves that had not been there before. I quickly realized I was checking her out and moved my eyes back up to her face. I really needed to watch myself.

She made it up to about the fourth branch before she started freaking out.

"Justuo, I'm scared. It's really high," she said. She sounded so pitiful.

"You're almost there. You can do it. It's not that high," I assured her. She stared at me for a few more moments, trying to gain her courage back I guessed, before she started climbing again.

She reached the branch where the bow was and slung it on her back. Then, she made the mistake of looking down.

"Oh my gosh, Justuo, I can't move. My feet and fingers are tingling so badly. Please. I can't get down," she said. Her breathing had sped up and she was working herself into a panic attack.

"Kiyo, just breathe. Close your eyes and breathe. You're okay. I promise," I soothed. She did as I said and squeezed her eyes shut.

"Now, when you open them, look only at me," I said. She slowly opened her eyes and met mine. She started to climb down feeling her way with her feet. As soon as I could reach her I pulled her off the branch and sat her on the ground, thinking she had enough torture already. She threw her arms around me.

"I did it! Justuo, I did it! Thank you so much," she cried. Excitement flooded her voice just as much as relief did. I beamed and hugged her back.

"I told you could do it," I said. She pulled away and handed me the bow.

"Now, for the real reason I came here," she said, eyeing me. I took the bow and my hand brushed along hers. I got a tingly sensation like I always did when I touched her, but she acted like nothing had happened. _Does she not feel it? _

"Okay, I'll demonstrate, and then you can try," I said. She nodded eagerly. I notched an arrow on the bow and faced the target. I pulled back the bow and aimed. I took a slow breath and released the arrow right through the middle of the target. Kiyo started clapping and I bowed.

"That was so awesome," she cheered. "How did you get so good?" Her praise made me blush. "Natural talent I guess," I replied, smirking. She shook her head, grinning.

"Just as cocky as before," she said.

"You bet," I said flashing her smile before I ran over to the target to retrieve the arrow. I handed her the bow and an arrow. She notched it and pulled the bow back, with more effort than I needed, even with her cheek, just as I had done. Her elbow was a little high though, and her hand needed to be moved. I came up behind her and lowered her elbow some.

"You don't want your elbow that high," I said in her ear. Then, I moved her hand lower, my hand resting on hers.

"Now breathe in, and slowly release it," I said feeling the tingling sensation again. She took a deep breath, and then slowly let it out. She let loose the arrow and it stuck right in the middle like mine had.

"Good job, Kiyo," I said. I was suddenly aware my hands were still touching her. She turned around to look at me, and I realized how close together we actually were. I was suddenly overwhelmed with the urge to kiss her. I didn't plan these kinds of things. I really did try to just be her friend, but I couldn't control myself around her. I leaned forward slowly, and then I heard someone trying to sound like they were clearing their throat. We both quickly looked to the left of us to see Leah standing there in a plain, white cotton dress with her arms across her chest, glaring at us. Kiyo moved away from me.

"What are you doing here, Leah?" Kiyo asked pleasantly, but she was obviously startled.

"I came to find you because I wanted to play with you and Aunt Yomi said you would be here," she said, still glaring at us. Of course Yomi told her where we were. She would do anything to ruin my time with Kiyo.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. Justuo was teaching me how to use a bow," she explained, smiling at Leah. Leah's glare faltered only a little at the sight of Kiyo's smile.

"Uh huh, I'm sure he was," she said, turning her glare directly on me. Leah was really giving it to us. I couldn't be mad at her though, even though I was annoyed at her accusing of us fooling around though. Kiyo started blushing.

"Leah, nothing was happening between us," Kiyo said, glancing at me. Her words hurt, but I knew she had to say them. It made me wonder if she actually thought something had been going on. If she knew I was about to kiss her. She had to, right? Even Leah could tell.

Most of Leah's anger seemed to have dissipated, because she ran over to Kiyo and hugged her.

"Let's go play tag with Damien," she declared, pulling Kiyo forward by her hand. Kiyo smiled and said, "Can Justuo come too?" Leah seemed to be debating it for a second, but she was making a show of thinking really hard.

"Yeah, but as long as he's it first," she said, looking at me expectantly. I laughed, and both Leah and Kiyo smiled at me.

"Sure, sure," I said. Leah cheered and started dragging Kiyo forwards again.

Kiyo looked back at me mouthed "_sorry_." I smiled at her and shook my head in forgiveness. She turned back around, and Leah started babbling about Ash. I tuned both of them out and instead focused on what might have happened if Leah had not shown up. If Kiyo knew I was going to kiss her, why didn't she stop me? It couldn't be possible she still loved me. Could it?

Kairi's Point of View

I couldn't help but feel a bit saddened as we trekked in the early morning hours with our only source of light being the filtering of dawn breaking through the canopy above. The damp mosses and grass below our feet made the softest of sounds as we moved towards the Center in Durangeal. It was too early for most of Mpopyya to talk and function normally, so our group stayed silent. Leah still slept, resting in Kiyo's arms.

We reached the Godwing's General store to find them opening the shop; when Justuo said that Feavii and Elves woke with the sun, he wasn't joking. Everyone in Avalanche seemed alert and ready for action, and most of the Feavii and Elves around us were the same way. Mr. and Mrs. Godwing greeted us with smiles. I wore the cloak I had purchased at their store yesterday; it was warm, made of a dark green material I wasn't familiar with. I figured it would make a good traveling cloak for our journey home.

"_Evange_," Mrs. Godwing said. I'd learned that it meant hello in Elvish yesterday; lessons from Fayt and Serein were going to come in handy, I could already tell. "Everyone seems so tired," she continued as if we all understood her words.

"It's a bit earlier than some of us are used to," Yoru explained.

"I see," Mrs. Godwing replied knowingly. "You may want to have some of this." She reached behind the counter before pulling a glass bottle with a cork in it. Blue liquid sloshed around inside like waves in the ocean. I immediately recognized it as the stuff Yami had bought from the merchant we ran into on the way to Feywood.

"It's the Energy Potion thing!" Yami exclaimed, but it was too tired to sound excited.

"I take it you have had some then?" Mr. Godwing mused.

"Well, I've never actually had it. I have some, though," Yami replied.

"I think it would be wise for each of you to have some," Mrs. Godwing said eyeing Kiyo's drowsy face as she barely supported her and Leah's weight. "It may help you with keeping alert on your travels back to Zephyr."

"I'll give you some coin for the trouble," I said, but she raised her hand.

"No,_ iler hasvan_, it is not a problem at all," she said; all the while, she pulled several more corked bottles from behind the counter. "Ikol has a talent for making potions in his spare time. He seems to find pleasure in the craft."

"Ikol?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My younger brother," Fayt explained. My eyes widened in surprise.

"You have a brother?" Mizu and I asked in unison. I glanced at her for just a second to recognize that we'd said it at the same time.

"Yes," Fayt chuckled. "He is fourteen. Mostly keeps himself busy with learning and training outside, though. That's why you've yet to meet him, I'm sure."

"Maybe when you return for a visit," Mrs. Godwing said sweetly, "he will actually be home long enough to meet you."

"Yeah, Ikol is pretty cool," Justuo said. "He's growing up fast, though." He paused to shake his head. "It feels like just yesterday he was running around, play tag and hide and seek with Dameon."

"Yes, he has gotten very mature over the last few years," Mr. Godwing agreed.

His wife, who had packed the bottles into a bundle of cloth so they wouldn't break, came out from behind the counter. She handed the bundle of bottles to Justuo before saying, "Make sure they drink these after you get to Feywood's border. It should give them a jump start."

"Will do, ma'am," he said dutifully.

"That reminds me," Mr. Godwing said suddenly. "Excuse me for just a moment." He briskly left the room, returning only moments later carrying another bundle. It seems to be a leather-like material, as Tobi's bag had been. "I was plundering through some of my tomes and came across something that may help you in your studies." He began to unfold the material, revealing yet another book whose cover had seen many hands. The pages and cover looked as if they had been made of organic material – almost like they were made of leaves themselves.

Mr. Godwing opened to the first page, revealing an illustration of beautiful calligraphy and elegant sketches of a variety of plants. The calligraphy read, _Botany of the World and Beyond._ He turned the page, flipping through them until he landed on one at random. I flower was drawn and inked, colored to the finest of detail on one page. The page across held a description of it, variations, locations, uses, warnings, and anything else one could even think of.

"This is a book that I have had for many years. I've spent many days studying it, and I feel that it would do more good to you than I." Mr. Godwing paused to touch the dried paints and lines that made the flower.

"It's so beautiful," I murmured in awe, realizing all the work that had been dedicated to the book he held.

"Kairi, it would be an honor if you and your _gwynvaardin_ took it," he said. _Gwynvaardin_. It meant protectants, and I felt a warm ball curl up inside my chest.

"Thank you very much, sir," Yoru said. "It's really nice of you to give it to us."

"It isn't a problem at all," he said with a smile. "Besides, maybe it will come to be useful to you sometime in the future."

"Hope we're not too late," another voice said from the doorway. Faelia stood in the entrance and Tobi stood next to several Avalanche members that had probably just finished packing their things.

"Hello," Justuo said. "You're just in time."

"Good, we wanted to see you off," Faelia said.

"It's nice of you to come all the way to Durangeal to say goodbye," Serein said to Faelia.

"It wasn't that far of a walk when you use the trees," Faelia said, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Yeah, Faelia is an expert tree climber," Aki teased.

"I don't know about _that_," she deterred. "But I can climb trees pretty good."

"Justuo's giving Kiyo and I lessons," I replied with a nod.

"That should go over well," Mizu snickered.

"It was good seeing you again, Justuo, Aki, Hana," Tobi said meeting each of their gazes with his own. "You must stop by more."

"And bring Mpopyya," Faelia added. "It gets a little boring around here sometimes."

"Understood," Yami said. "It gets boring at the castle when nothing is happening."

"We should come back more often," Mizu agreed. "I've had a lot of fun."

"It was a nice break from the usual long castle days," Yoru added.

"Well, goodbye everyone," Justuo said. "Take care. I'm sure you'll see us in the next few weeks."

"Until then, Justuo," Mr. Godwing said, "be wary and aware."

"Of course," Justuo said. "_Naven davhana_."

"Goodbye!" Mpopyya and Kimi said in various ways.

"_Egnave, hasvania_," Mrs. Godwing said. "Take care."

"You, too," I replied with a smile.

We left the general store, and I couldn't help a heavy feeling pull on my heartstrings. I was sad to see Feywood go. And something else tugged at the back of my mind; Lightning's words before we broke up for good. _Oh Kairi. You've got to be kidding me. The war is definitely raging. We've lost big leaders, on both sides._

I sucked in my breath. _And we probably still are,_ my mind whispered to me. I dismissed the thought; it was just paranoia talking, right? My stomach knotted in response, and I sighed at the sinking feeling starting to creep into me. Ash and Justuo's conversation I had caught part of tickled my mind. _Nope, not paranoia_, I realized. _Rational thought._

"Kairi?" Justuo asked. I looked up quickly. I had fallen behind a few feet. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah," I said quickly, offering a smile. I jogged until I was caught up, letting my churning thoughts dissolve – but only for now.

15


	60. Hitting the Fan

**Hello my lovelies! Breaking time, right? Here's the next chapter! A little longer than I thought it would be, but hey! It's out now! I want to thank Kiyo for writing that last piece in her POV and also I want to thank all of my loyal readers that have continued to stick with reading despite my lazy updates! Anyway, the next chapter should be up soon, hopefully. We're so close, this is like that last stretch of the mile! Anyway, read on, my friends!**

_**Chapter Fifty-Nine: Hitting the Fan**_

We were halfway to the Edge's Guard when Vladamirr appeared from behind a nearby tree. I jerked in surprise. "_Evange_," he said lightly, a small smile playing on his lips. "I believed it would be best to see you off myself."

"Vlad!" Justuo said, and several of us bowed in respect to him, Feavii-style. "It's good to see you before we leave."

"And you as well," Vladamirr agreed. "I won't keep you very long; I know you've a long journey today, but I am glad to see you a final time."

"It was nice meeting you," Yoru said. "Thank you for taking the trouble to see us off before we left. That was kind."

"The pleasure was mine. Come back and visit sometime; I am sure Feywood would welcome you with open arms."

"I'm sure we'll come back sometime soon," Mizu said. "I like it here. Fresh water and clean air – not that the air isn't clean in Zephyr. There's just a certain freshness here I've never smelled before."

"_Egnave, hasvania_," Vladamirr said.

"Goodbye, Vlad," Aki said. The group started moving before I did, and for some reason, I stood there for about ten seconds. Something made me shiver, like I was being watched or something. I started to take a step before Vladamirr spoke again.

"_Hasvan_, you see emotions very clearly sometimes, correct?" My eyes widened.

"Yes, actually," I replied stiffly. How did he know?

"Something told me you did," he said, mischief clear as day on his face. "_Maedryr Wverdin_ has taken _u_ liking _yi davhana_ and _davdai esmian_, _hasvan_."

"I don't understand," I said, shaking my head at his taunting voice.

"One day, _nilvvarden_, one day," Vladamirr said. "_Egnave_ for now." He left, then, leaving me alone in the forest with the strange Elvish ringing in my mind. What the hell did that mean? I was definitely learning Elvish now.

"Hello guests," Selenia's voice said from above. I jumped in surprise, spinning around immediately. She giggled, uncharacteristic of her considering the last time she had an arrow notched and ready to slice into my heart.

"Jeez, you scared the crap out of me!" Mizu exclaimed, clutching at her heart.

"That wasn't our intention at all," Eryk's voice said from somewhere near. I turned to the direction it had come from to find him perched ever-so-gracefully on the branch of a neighboring tree. He snickered before dropping to the forest floor in one easy movement. He straightened, having barely made a thump when he landed.

Kimi's attention went to him, and she beamed brightly. "Hello again," she said.

"Hello to you," he grinned. I smiled at the emotional warmth they both emitted. I faced Selenia again and was surprised to find her on the ground. She wore the same kind of clothes as before when we saw her, vine and petal-like clothes covering the necessities. Her hair was braided to the side, the blue and purple locks only spaying loose strands here and there – just enough to make it look perfect in an imperfect way.

"How did your trip to Feywood fare?" she asked, her bow loosely slung around her shoulder.

"Really well, actually!" I said. The surprises never ended, especially with her; she seemed loose, talkative, and even bubbly – a stark comparison to her attitude when we first entered Feywood. "We had a lot of fun touring and seeing how the Feavii, Elves, and Faeries live."

"That's good, _hasvan_," Selenia chuckled. "It has been a very long time since the borders of Feywood were opened to anyone, especially those who," she broke off suddenly before glancing to Yomi, just for a split second. I think Yomi caught it, but she didn't say anything. "With Vampiric Lineage."

"It was an honor," Kiyo said with a warm smile. "Thank you very much for allowing us passage."

"_Naven davhana_," Justuo said with a nod of respect. "We greatly appreciate your understanding."

"_Davhana kyu vendu, havjetuu_," Selenia replied.

"Do you think you could…maybe fix my mind?" I asked with hesitance. Selenia's face became unreadable for just a moment before she nodded.

"I will, but those memories that you have made within your visit will be inaccessible to Saviore. Even if you think of them while he is there, he will not glimpse so much as a sliver of your mind's eye."

"That's fine with me!" I said quickly. "I like it that way, personally."

"Very well," she replied. I felt the tickle of her probing mind just outside of my own before it seeped through my mind block with ease, almost like melted butter. She reached into the recesses of my mind, and I winced, shutting my eyes in an attempt to relax my mind further. She unlatched the block, and I felt the force of Trace's mind crashing through mine like a wave having been held back for too long by an unbreakable damn.

I gasped at the sudden change. I sensed Selenia's ever fleeting presence fading from my mind. Trace's presence took its place hastily, almost hungrily. I shuddered. The first thing I heard from him was a dark chuckle. _It's good to be back, Kairi._ I didn't respond. Instead, I turned my attention elsewhere.

Eryk and Kimi were just finishing something about her coming back soon, maybe with Fayt, Aki, Justuo, or Serein.

"We have to get going," Prompto said.

"He's right," Aki said. "It's going to be a long trip."

"It was good seeing Avalanche again," Eryk said. "May the wind bring you home again soon."

"Thank you," Hana said. "We'll return soon, I'm sure."

"Bye!" several Mpopyya members called as we readied to start moving again.

"Bye Rykki and Seli!" Leah said waving.

"Goodbye, little one," Eryk said warmly. They nodded to the Avalanche members before taking off up the trees they'd be in before. They had cleared the tops and disappeared into the leafy canopy before I had the chance to turn a final glance their way.

The wind in my face was almost foreign to me, but it felt amazing all the same. The thundering paws beneath me were familiar, but it had been so long since I'd ridden Kuroyasha that I was suddenly feeling a new appreciation for the fact that we had our spirit weapons, especially after our long journey to Feywood.

Behind me, Yami held onto me loosely. Kimi, who was behind her, was holding on the tightest. It was a tight squeeze, but we were tight for seats considering Kiyo, Yoru, and I had had to share Kuroyasha, Haiiroyasha, and Shiroyasha with everyone besides Mpopyya. Justuo, Aki, Serein, and Fayt ran beside the lions, keeping pace perfectly fine. Spark rode with Yoru and Yomi, and Mizu rode with Kiyo and Leah.

I glanced to my left and shuddered when I saw the other four-legged creature running alongside our lions. It was hard to realize that that was Akira. The memory played back in my head now, feeling surprisingly far away considering it had only happened this morning.

_ "Azi?" I asked in surprise. She was propped against a tree, legs sprawled out in front of her. Her eyes opened at the sound of our approach. A bottle of some sort of alcohol rested in her left hand and one of her blades lay in the other._

_ "Hey guys," she said calmly. "There for a while, I thought you guys were just going to move to Feywood and never leave."_

_ "Azi! You're still here?! Why didn't you just leave? I thought you'd have been gone by now," Yoru said, completely shocked as I was. _

_ "Where did you get the alcohol?" Mizu asked, though it was perfectly irrelevant at the time._

_ "Well one, I figured I'd stick around until you guys decided to head back to Zantia. It does me well to get away from towns every once in awhile. There were plenty of fruits and plants around here to keep me happy. Thought I will admit, I thought I was going to go through alcohol withdraw the first two days. Thankfully, some power-hungry bandits that seemed to be heading towards Feywood's borders stumbled by; I could smell the alcohol a hundred yards away." She paused to shake her half-full bottle bearing a sly smile. "I relieved them of their heavy luggage."_

_ "I like your style," Aki said showing a crooked smile of satisfaction._

_ "It only gets better from here," she replied smoothly before taking another long drink. "Anyway, are we ready to depart then?"_

_ "I believe we're waiting for Akira and then we'll be ready to depart," Prompto said._

_ "What's he doing anyway?" Kimi wondered aloud. She had barely had time to finish her sentence before her tail bristled to twice its size and her ears pinned back. Her eyes looked past me, trained on one spot. I immediately turned around, sensing her prominent unease. My breath sucked in._

_ A bout ten years away, a giant wolf that towered over everyone in our group approached. He was black with silver streaks of fur coursing its dark coat like stars brushed against the night sky. It's piercing yellow eyes were enough to unsettle anyone. They had an uncanny way of making you feel like they were staring right through you. I took a step back, hands automatically rising to defend my protectants behind me._

_ "Oh my Fate!" Kiyo whispered just as Mizu exclaimed, "What the hell is _that_!?"_

_ "It's a big wolf!" Yami yelled, stepping behind not only Mizu but Prompto as well._

_ "It's not just a wolf," Leah said suddenly._

_ "Leah's right, guys. Relax," Justuo said calmly. "It's just Akira."_

_ "That's Akira?!" Yomi demanded. "He's a wolf!?"_

_ "A werewolf, actually," Yoru said, but her voice was laced with edge; Yoru hated dogs of any kind. "Can't you smell his scent just beneath the forest and wilderness of his fur?"_

_ "No, not really," Yomi said quite bluntly. "Then again, I wasn't really trying to sniff Akira out or anything."_

_ I relaxed slightly. Leah said, "Kiki is a wolfie! I knew when he and Val took me for a walk when we were on our way to Feywood." Kiyo was at a loss for words. She just looked down at her for a few moments before looking back up at Justuo._

_ "I didn't want to tell you, Mommy. I knew you wouldn't have liked me riding on Kiki's back like I did," Leah explained. "So don't be angry." I don't think Kiyo could have been angry if she wanted to. Leah was too sincere for her to be upset._

_ "Alright," Kiyo sighed. "Any other surprises we should know about?"_

_ "Nope, not yet anyway," Justuo teased, winking at her. I scrutinized him for a moment, wondering why he was in such a chipper mood. He continued. "I figured that we would make the trip home a lot faster by riding your spirit weapons all the way home."_

_ "Really?! That would be great!" I exclaimed. "We don't have to walk the entire journey then!"_

_ "That's why I requested Akira's assistance," he chuckled. "He'll help carry those that can't keep up with the lions."_

_ "Thanks Justuo," Kiyo said, smiling._

The memory faded to reality. Hana, Prompto, and Azi had all ridden on Akira's back. We were nearly in Zantia now, and the sun was high over our heads. We were making damn good time. Soon, we'd see Zantia on the horizon.

Kiyo's Point of View

I glanced at Justuo, who was surprisingly very well off considering he'd been running the entire morning. The memory of our almost kiss snuck into my mind for the fifteenth time today, and I shoved it away again. I couldn't keep reliving the moments we'd shared because every time I did, I considered another possibility for how it could have ended or changed. What would have happened if Leah hadn't have showed up?

I bit the inside of my cheek, realizing that for a sixteenth time, it had crept back in. I wanted to slap myself in retaliation. I couldn't keep doing this! It wasn't fair to Justuo or Ash. I was just making it harder for everyone and-

Panic seized me suddenly. I gasped, tensing up without warning. The emotions flushed through me from another source. I looked to Kairi, almost immediately, but she was fine. She leaned forward, moving with every bound Kuroyasha gave. My next guess was Yomi, but she was fine, too, clinging to Yoru as sloped uphill at a slight inclination.

I reached out to Ash, then, realizing he was the only one left that could influence me in such a way. He was in the infirmary, jaw clenched closed. He did this when he felt helpless or stressed, and I could tell he was a little bit of both.

_"You majesty, he's going to be okay,"_ Night Rider said. I felt him place his hand on Ash's shoulder. I realized then that I wasn't supposed to know what was happening at the castle for two reasons, the first reason being the figured on the bed that was nearly unrecognizable due to the ravages deeply lining his chest. Despite being bandaged, I could see through the soiled cloth that there were gashes everywhere. Upon closer inspection, and thanks to Ash's memory intel, I realized it was Edge that had been so savagely wounded.

The second reason was Ash's noticing me peeking through his mind. He immediately turned his face from the scene in front of him. _Ash, what happened?!_ I demanded before he had the chance to say anything.

_Kiyo._ I could tell just from his emotions that he didn't want me to know what had gone down. This infuriated me, but I didn't have the chance to go on the offensive. _There was a battle._ I felt my chest clench in my own body. _It happened during your stay in Feywood because it was planned to be that way. We didn't want Mpopyya home for it just in case it came closer to Zephyr than we were planning. And we didn't want to take the chance of Raven having his way with Mpopyya as he did last time when he and the others attacked you directly within the castle._

I was so shocked that I could barely keep a straight face. _Who else knew about it!? _I demanded.

_The entire inner circle and Avalanche as well,_ he said quietly. There was a second's notice before betrayal bloomed inside me. He lied to us about the reason he sent us on the trip? _I consulted with Justuo, figuring that he would have a fair solution. When he offered to take Mpopyya to Feywood for the weekend, I knew that that was the best plan of action, even though I despised the thought of you leaving in the first place, especially with him._

That's why we had taken our time getting to Feywood! We could have ridden the lions to Feywood, but instead, we'd walked the entire way. But now that the battle was over and the danger was gone, we could get home as quickly as we wanted. My stomach churned heavily. I had never seen Ash do something so underhanded.

_I can't believe you didn't tell me, Ash!_ I was more hurt than anything, and I missed him too much to really stay angry or frustrated. The sting of tears in my eyes proved as much.

_I didn't want you to worry or demand to stay for the battle. Mpopyya has a tendency to find danger where danger is least expected,_ Ash sighed. _Love, I'll explain in better detail once you get home. Don't let this burden your mind. For now, enjoy your time out of the castle._

_Yeah, I guess I will. I'll see you soon, Ash,_ I muttered.

_Goodbye for now, Kiyo,_ Ash said. _I can't wait to see you._

This made me happy, but I didn't physically smile like I would usually have. _I've missed you so much. I can't wait to see you, either._

_Until then, my love._

I withdrew from his mind immediately, the stench of blood still heavy to my nostrils despite my being away from the source. I closed my eyes to keep the ridiculous tears from actually escaping down my face.

A small prod to my side made me squeak aloud before my eyes snapped open. Leah had poked me. She was between Mizu and I, snuggly tucked in the middle so that she couldn't fall off of Haiiroyasha. I looked over my shoulder to meet her gaze with questioning eyes. She was frowning, I noticed. "What's wrong?" I asked over the loud wind.

"I don't like it when you're sad," she replied. "Please be happy, Mommy." It close enough to my ear for her quiet voice to carry, and low enough for only me to hear. I was a bit surprised at first, but finally just nodded and smiled.

"It's okay, honey," I reassured her. "Don't worry." She returned the smile with her own before snuggled her face back into the back of my shirt. I looked forward to the horizon. I smiled again when I realized we were only minutes from Zantia now. Thank the Fates, we had made it to stop number one.

Kairi's Point of View

Kiyo had a strange aura about her when we arrived in Zantia. She seemed a little preserved, and definitely not as talkative as she was on our way here. She kept staring off into space like she couldn't stop thinking about something that was bothering her. I even asked her at one point what was wrong, but she denied anything being wrong. "She was tired" or so she claimed.

The streets of Zantia were much like they were when we first passed through except, now they were much busier with bustling caravans and a full market place where many people meandered with baskets and children. Kuroyasha and the other lions had disappeared, leaving us to find lunch and say our goodbyes to Azi and Spark. Needless to say, Akira had returned to his Human Form before we'd even reached the outer city limits. No need to spook any of the townsfolk, right?

"It was good accompanying you on your trip to Feywood," Azi said once we were inside the inn again. Adela and James conversed with Avi members animatedly, talking about how much of a treat it was to see them again and so soon.

"It was good to see you again, Azi. I wasn't expecting it," Yoru said.

"Yeah, I guess it's a small world," she replied with a shrug.

"You should come visit us more often," I insisted. "It's always fun when you visit."

"I'll give it some thought," she said after a moment. "You two aren't half bad, I guess." I couldn't help a smile. It was the closest thing to a compliment I'd ever heard Azi say. "Anyway, I'll be off now, girls. I've got to gather my things before I leave for Zephyr again."

"See you later, Azi!" I called.

"Bye!" Yoru said. She and Spark disappeared up the stairwell in the corner.

We joined Avalanche and the rest of Mpopyya, who were starting to order their lunches. I sat down, propping my chin up with my hands and elbows. The wafting smell of beef stew was enough to convince my taste buds that that was what I wanted.

Before I knew it, we were back on the road, stomachs full. I found myself, every once in a while, glancing to Kiyo to make sure she was okay. Something stirred in the pit of my stomach, telling me she was hiding something. Instead of badgering her, I returned my gaze to the grassy roads.

It wasn't even an hour later that I felt Trace entering my mind. He had an air of cockiness to him that caught my attention, but I didn't say anything. If he wanted to talk, I was sure he would start the conversation. Like I guessed he would, he made the first move.

_Hey Guardian_, he said. _How's your trip coming along?_

_Wonderful, thanks_, I replied smoothly. _Why do you ask?_

_I was just wondering. You know, curiosity killing the cat and all that._

I mentally raised an eyebrow. _Okay, now what do you really want?_ I asked.

_You wound me, Kairi Fatewin. Can I not talk to a friend now?_

_ Trace, please. You don't consider me a friend any more than Elliot and Ash consider one another friends. Now get to the point_.

_But you should know why I'm here._ A mischievous tone overtook his voice, and for a moment, I was reminded of Justuo. I pursed my lips. _Wait, you really don't know?_ He was serious now, all teasing and joking gone. _Why did you go to Feywood?_

_That's a dumb question_, I replied, but unease lined my stomach. _We went to the Feywood because Ash was having our rooms remodeled._

In my mind's eye, I saw Trace give me a quizzical look before asking, _So why didn't he just give you new rooms to stay in until they were done._

I stared at him for a moment, at a loss of words. _I…_ My thought went no farther, and I realized I was scrambling for an answer to defend Ash with. Trace's lips slowly curved up into a smile, his green eyes sparkling as slow realization began to dawn on me. _Trace, what happened while we were in Feywood?_

_I'm not saying anything, Guardian. Although,_ he started, pausing to move closer to my physical form in my mind's eye. He grasped my shoulder, and I flinched automatically. His grip was strong, firm and probably unbreakable. He leaned to my ear and whispered, ever so quietly, _If you think really hard about it, I'm pretty confident you'll know the answer._ The cool breath of Darkness rolled off of his voice, and I immediately stepped back, withdrawing from inner layer of my mind. The bright warm sun sent warmth racing over my skin, replacing the mental flush of Darkness Trace had brushed me with.

My breath was heavy, and that same fearful feeling that came over me whenever Darkness was used in close proximity of me. I bit the side of my cheek, keep the unsettling thoughts that swam through my mind to myself. Trace gave a harsh chuckle before saying, _Farewell, Kairi. Be wiser than your protectants or you'll never be able to protect them._ He was gone before I could reply.

I glanced to Kiyo and was startled to find her looking back at me. We made eye contact for just a moment before we both broke away. I focused on the road ahead, chewing the inside of my cheek the entire way.

It wasn't until the sun was sinking below the far off forested horizon that we saw Zephyr. The sight was a relief considering my mind had somehow managed to mangle the town a million different ways in the wake of Trace's chilling visit and haunting words. I knew Avalanche had to be exhausted from running all day, particularly Akira considering he had been carrying more than just himself.

As the town grew closer, Kiyo's Haiiroyasha darted forward in an unexpected burst of speed. Mizu and Leah gave loud blurts of surprise while the lion sped off. I laughed aloud and gave Kuroyasha a gently tap on the shoulder with my hands, letting her know to follow pursuit. As Kiyo grew farther away, I noticed a fluctuation in Justuo's mood. It seemed to get a little bit darker with every foot Zephyr grew closer.

Kiyo's Point of View

As soon as we reached the main plaza where the draw bridge was, I jumped from Haiiroyasha's back, stumbling and nearly falling when I hit the ground. I just barely caught my balance in time, but I kept going, only slowing until the bridge began to drop.

I took off running as soon as I heard the bridge lower. I knew Ash would be there waiting for us. I saw him as soon as the bridge touched the ground. Ash ran towards me, and I jumped on him and threw my arms around his neck as I wrapped my legs around his waist. I was home, and he was safe. I didn't care that he had lied to us. I was just glad to be back with him. Ash squeezed me so tight and his fingers wound into my hair.

"I'm guessing you missed me as much as I missed you," he chuckled. I hadn't realized how much I really missed him until then.

"When, I'm away from you, it feels like a part of me is missing," I said as my lips brushed his ear. Ash pulled my lips to his and kissed me. I was too surprised to kiss him back at first because Ash never kissed me like this in public. His lips were warm and gentle against mine, and I soon forgot whether it was improper or not. I kissed him back eagerly.

Ash pulled away first, and I realized that it was because the others had caught up to us by now. He placed me gently on the ground, but didn't let go of me. Everyone was filled with smiles and calm faces until my gaze reached Justuo. I could feel his hatred for me at that moment, and guilt swarmed through me. But when Ash placed sweet kisses down my cheek, I remembered the reason I was not supposed to feel guilty.

"I am glad you are all home safely," Ash said, turning to face the others. I noted the fact that the battle was the farthest thing from his mind right now. He still had his arm around me. It was almost like he was afraid to let go. He must have really missed me.

"Thanks, Ashu-niisama. We missed you and the Paranormal World so much," Kairi gushed as she ran up and hugged Ash.

"I missed you all as well, Kairi," he laughed, not entirely surprised.

"Does that mean we all get kissed like that?" Justuo mumbled darkly, but his glare was on me and my stomach twisted. Ash smoothly ignored him, though I knew without a doubt her heard his snide comment.

"It's good to see everyone back in one piece," he continued as though Justuo wasn't brewing a dark cloud of emotions.

"Boy is it good to be home," Yomi said, running up to hug Ash as well. Mizu squealed as she ran past us right into Skye's arms; apparently the Inner Circle had arrived sometime during my reunion with Ash. My hatred for Skye usually covered up my happiness for their relationship, but I couldn't help the smile that spread across my face at Mizu's happiness. Negative swooped in when Ash released her and swung Yomi around in a tight embrace. Yoru smiled fondly at them. I glanced past Ash to the Inner Circle members. Edge wasn't there.

"It is nice to be back on familiar territory," Yoru said.

"Yeah, it sucks to always be on your guard," Kairi grumbled.

"Kairi, a guardian must always be on guard," Fayt chastened her, as him, Prompto and Yami finally reached us. The rest of Avalanche must have gone straight to their apartments to unpack.

I raised my eyebrows at Yami, but she just shrugged before she ran up to Nightmare. They whispered to each other, but I wasn't close enough to hear what they were saying. Ash reached past me to shake Justuo's hand.

"Thanks for bringing them home safely," he said, as they shake hands. Justuo nodded. "Especially this one," Ash continued as he grabbed me and proceeded to tickle my sides. I started to wriggle and laugh uncontrollably.

"Ash, stop," I cried out, breathless.

"I would never let anything happen to her," Justuo said his tone very serious. Ash stopped then, and looked at Justuo, and so did I. He had not said "them." He said "her" like he was just referring to me. Justuo met my gaze with no feelings shown on his face, but I could see hurt in his eyes.

"I know, Yamamotto," Ash said without a smile. Then, he turned back to the rest us. "Shall we continue this inside where there is food and friends waiting? Oh and how could I forget your newly renovated rooms?" he said, gesturing to the castle. The rest of MPOPYYA took off running with their lovers, leaving Ash, Justuo, Prompto, and I alone.

"Don't we get some kind of reward, your majesties?" Prompto asked jokingly to Ash and me. We both smiled, but before either of us had the chance to respond Justuo spoke up.

"I think spending a whole weekend flirting with someone else's girlfriend should be enough for you," Justuo said, glaring. I stared at him. He was in such a bad mood…He had been fine just before we got to Zephyr. I watched him for a moment before I realize that the Darkness must be getting to him. He had not been able to release much of it because he had been around me for so long. Guilt swarmed through me again. Here I was, messing up everyone else's life again because of my own selfish tendencies. Prompto just looked at him. Not angrily, but in a concerned way.

"Weren't you doing the same thing?" he muttered before walking away back towards their apartments. I felt Ash tense up beside me, but I squeezed his hand.

_It's not worth a fight, Ash. It's my fault, not his_. Ash squeezed my hand back.

_I don't blame you, love. He should know better though. If he loved you so much he should have fought for you when he had the chance._ To my surprise, I felt tears forming in my eyes, and I desperately tried to blink them away. There was no point in crying, especially in front of either of them.

"I don't think it would be a good idea for to stay at the castle tonight," Ash said. Justuo shrugged.

"Why? Because of my Darkness or because of Kiyo?" he said, speaking like I wasn't standing right there.

"Neither. You need to go home and see your family. When was the last time you spoke to your mother, Justuo?" Ash asked. Another wave of remorse washed over me. Justuo, not to mention the rest of Avalanche, had been spending so much time with Mpopyya and I, protecting and training us that they had not been home to see their families in so long. I felt the tears coming back. A feeling of jealously also came over me. At least they got to go home and see their families. Ours were doomed to think we were dead. I felt the tears spill over and closed my eyes, hoping neither of them would notice. My emotions whirred around inside me like a hurricane and it was taking everything I had to keep them from showing.

"You're right," was all Justuo could say. I opened my eyes when most of the tears had slid silently down my cheeks. Ash turned to go in the castle.

"I'll catch up with you in just a second," I said, turning to face him. He nodded.

"Alright, love," he said before he continued through the gate.

Justuo and I just stared at each other for a couple minutes. I was the first to break the space between us. I wrapped my arms around his torso and hugged him tightly. I let the tears fall this time.

"Thank you for everything, Justuo. I really appreciate it, and I'm sure the rest of the Mpopyya does as well," I whispered. He wound his arms around me and rested his chin on the top of my head.

"There's no need to thank me," he said quietly.

"I'm really sorry," I whispered into his side. There were so many things I was sorry for. I was sorry for him always having to take care of me. I was sorry for him never getting to see his family. I was sorry for continuing to love him, but not being with him. I was sorry for loving Ash and him having to see it. I was sorry that I had never been enough for him in the Human World. I was sorry that because of me, his Darkness was eating him alive. I was sorry for always hurting him. But I didn't say any of that. I just said I was sorry.

"Kiyo," he started, but before he could finish I released him and wiped my nose on my sleeve.

"Goodbye Justuo. You really should go see your family. You deserve so much more happiness than you have been getting recently," I said as I furiously tried to wipe away the tears as they started to fall faster. Before he could say anything, I turned and ran inside the castle. I heard the bridge start rising behind me, not that that could really stop him. There was more than just this one entrance that he could use. I half expected him to follow me.

I ran past the dining hall where all my friends were rejoicing. I ran past where Ash would have been waiting with open arms. I flung open the door to my room, dropped the book bag I'd been toting all weekend, and collapsed on the floor as the sobs started. The new surroundings didn't even sink in – the blocked out emotions came crashing in.

Ash found me like that sometime later; a crumpled ball on the floor shaking with sobs. He knelt down beside me and pulled me into his arms.

"It's okay, Kiyo. I'm here. I've got you," he whispered as he rocked me back and forth. My head was tucked under his chin. I had his shirt in a death grip inside my fist. I knew my tears were soaking his shirt, but I couldn't stop them even if I wanted to. I had held them back and buried them for far too long. His words only made me cry harder because I knew he actually meant them. I didn't deserve him. I didn't deserve him for all the things I put him through and how I always flirted with Justuo and let my feelings for him get in the way of Ash and me. I was the most selfish person in existence.

"I'm sorry," I stuttered in between sobs. His arms tightened around me, and he kissed my head.

"Don't you dare apologize. You have done nothing wrong," he whispered soothingly.

"Please, forgive me. I'm just so lost and stressed. I hate myself so much," I cried. Ash stopped rocking me and pulled away, so I had to look him in the eye.

"Don't you ever say that again! Do you hear me? Never again. You have done nothing wrong," he repeated. "Nothing. It is perfectly normal to be upset. You have a lot on your plate and you are only seventeen years old. You are the kindest and most gentle person I have ever met. You do so much for everyone. You are so selfless and caring. You love others so much that you don't have any left to love yourself. That's why I'm here. To love you and make you love yourself. You mean so much to me. You are my rock, just as much as I am yours. I love you so very much," he said slowly, never losing eye contact with me.

I could feel him looking at my soul. I wondered if it was even there anymore. His words touched me so much, but the pain was still there. I knew he would take it away though. Ash _was_ my rock. The balm to my wounds. He was my soul mate. I started crying again, and I buried my face against his chest, still gripping his shirt.

"I-I love yo-ou," I sobbed.

"Shhh, love, I know. I know," he murmured as he started rocking me again. "I've got you. You're safe. Nothing bad can happen if I'm here. I swear if I can help it, nothing will ever make you cry like this again," Ash continued.

He rubbed my back and squeezed me so tight, but it wasn't tight enough.

"Everything will be okay. I've got you," he said. He repeated that over and over. Each time he said it felt like he was stitching up my shattered heart – whether the pieces had been broken in leaving my family behind or whether it was still broken from when Justuo had cheated on me in the Human World, I wasn't sure. I don't know how long we stayed like that, but Ash eventually lifted me up and laid me on my bed, under the covers. He lay down beside me and pulled me against him. A few silent tears still slid down my cheeks, but I mostly had control of myself again. I closed my eyes and listened to his breathing. I felt safe and happy, even though I still felt like my world was falling apart. I knew everything would be okay as long as I had him.

"You are so beautiful, Kiyo. Don't ever feel worthless, selfish, or anything of the sort because no matter what he or anyone else thinks or says, you are the most beautiful creature I have ever seen. And I have seen many things," Ash said. I couldn't say anything out loud, but I thanked him through our minds. That way, he could feel how much I loved him.

"I love you as well, my little moon. Now, get some sleep. I will be here with you all night. Nothing bad can happen. I promise," Ash whispered. I heard him start to sing quietly as I drifted off to sleep.

Ash's Point of View

Kiyo was sleeping now, finally resting after her break down. It had to have been her transformation that had helped induce the emotional tidal wave that ricocheted throughout her, and I mentally winced at the thought. Kiyo was never one to deal with her emotions very well, but the transformation had to be wearing her down even more. The stress or being queen and taking care of the entire kingdom was probably a big lag on her shoulders.

I sighed softly, worry lacing my mind. Mpopyya would know of the battle sooner rather than later, especially with Kiyo having found out, and Kairi's mind connection to Trace would only help speed up the process. That bastard couldn't keep his mouth shut for very long, and knowing him, he'd antagonize Kairi about not knowing something so "important."

I kissed the top of Kiyo's head before allowing my eyes to slip closed. Fear had said she'd stay of "Edge Duty" for tonight, which was her way of saying she'd keep Mpopyya from getting in the infirmary and finding out about the battle any sooner. This gave me little peace of mind, but it was enough relief to let my mind rest at ease.

Until the next morning when another battle within itself would unfold.

**Review please!**

11


	61. A Line Crossed

_**Chapter Sixty: A Line Crossed**_

Kairi's Point of View

Kiyo never showed up to dinner, and Ash didn't stay for very long. I pondered this as Justuo arrived, making his way towards the several Avi members remaining amongst us. Aki, Hana, and Fayt stood close by, faces alight with humor, but their emotional field showed their concern for Justuo's behavior.

Instead of paying them any mind, however, I was watching the Inner Circle members. Night Rider had the slightest limp to his left leg, and I noticed bandages wrapped around Rath's bicep. These small, nearly unnoticeable things that Mpopyya didn't question made me think of what Trace's parting words had been earlier today. _Be wiser than your protectants or you'll never be able to protect them._

Often times, Mpopyya didn't question much, which is why it had been so easy for Ash and the Inner Circle to cover up the still raging wars outside the castle walls. But being a Guardian was about knowing where everyone was, what everyone was doing, and noticing the smaller, finer details of a situation. If Trace hadn't acted so strange today, I wouldn't have been looking for these telltale signs that were evidence that something had gone down in our absence.

_Who else would know?_ I asked myself in my mind. I thought really hard about that for several moments, shuffling through any suspicious memories that could tell me more. I paused when I remembered overhearing a conversation between Justuo and Ash. How had it gone…?

They had been arguing about how far away Feywood was. That alone should have sent off warning bells in my head. Avalanche probably knew if something went down, right? But why wouldn't anyone tell us?

"Are you alright, kid?" I blinked. Aki was standing in front of me, snapping his fingers at my face. He raised an eyebrow in wonder, waiting for my response.

"Oh, I'm fine!" I replied quickly. "I didn't realize I'd been zoning out."

"Something on your mind?" Hana asked, a faint smile showing on her lips.

"No, of course not. I guess I'm just a bit tired."

"You have every right to be," Fayt replied with a nod. "Why don't you go and get some rest, Kairi?"

I shook my head. "No, I should eat something first. Just to put a little something on my stomach."

"Lighten up, bro," Aki said softly. I glanced over to see Justuo and Aki having moved a few feet away. Aki's hand rested on Justuo's shoulder, almost as an anchoring comfort. Justuo didn't reply to Aki, but I could tell he struggled to keep his composure. I looked closer, opening myself to the emotional energy outside of me.

Something strange happened, then, that had never happened before. I noticed, for the first time, Justuo had a strange flickering light around him – actually, everyone had a strange flickering light around them. It was so faint and fleeting that I barely noticed at first, and it was a wonder how I'd seen it in the first place.

Had they always been there? I scrutinized him in an attempt to see it clearer. The halo-like light surrounded him completely, fluctuating as if it were a living thing. His emotions flushed me, telling me he was angry, and I could sense the Darkness lurking just below the surface of his composure. In the slivers of iridescence, I saw an abundance of green and red, but blobs of black mixed throughout its entirety. I shivered stepping closer to Justuo. I reached out, trying to catch the colors in my hand, but my fingers passed right through them.

"Kairi?" I blinked, and all the colors diffused immediately. Justuo was staring at me, eyebrow cocked up. I swallowed, glancing at Aki, Hana, and finally Fayt. There was no evidence of the ghostly colors from before. "Are you okay?"

"Um…yeah," I said after a moment. What could I say? "You had pretty colors surrounding you, Justuo!" No, definitely not.

"Are you sure?" Hana asked. "You've been acting a bit strange ever since we came into the dining hall."

"I think I'm going to go to bed," I finally said. "I have a headache."

"Well, we will see you soon enough, then," Aki said.

"Bye guys." I waved absently. "Thanks for accompanying us to Feywood."

"It was our pleasure, _devinia_," Fayt assured sincerely. I smiled before walking away. My eyes scanned the crowd of Mpopyya and Inner Circle members as I made my way towards the hall. To my alarm, I realized Skye was watching me from across the room, almost intently. Mizu was pressed to him, but she was talking to Kiyo animatedly. When he realized I'd caught him, he stood, whispered something to Mizu, who nodded in recognition, and made to follow me. I slowed to give him a chance to catch up only because I was curious as to why he'd been watching me so closely.

"Mind if I accompany you to your room?" he asked.

"Sure," I replied with a shrug. "Why though?"

"Can't have any sibling bonding time?" Skye teased. I raised an eyebrow at him, before I let a smile break loose.

"If you say so," I replied. We walked in silence until halfway to the rooms. That's when Skye decided to speak.

"You're rooms look really good."

"I'm excited to see them," I commented. I guess he realized it was best to just get to the point.

"I noticed you staring at Justuo earlier," he finally conceded. "Why was he peaking your interest?"

I stopped walking before turning to face him. After a moment of watching him, I opened myself up to outside emotions, focusing on the ones around him as I did. His emotions were safely hidden and neutralized. And faintly, the flickering light that surrounded Justuo also surrounded Skye. My eyes widened with curiosity as the colors slowly intensified until I could discern each. Red and blue flowed around him in a balanced mix.

"You see it then?" he asked.

"What exactly am I seeing?" I whispered, mesmerized by the phenomenon.

"My emotional aura." I reached forward again, to try to touch the floating mixture, but my hands passed through them, not so much as disturbing their steady flow. "Not only can we read and influence others emotions, but we can see them, too."

"So each color means a different emotion?"

"Yes," he confirmed.

"Green must mean anger," I said, recalling that Justuo's aura had been mostly green and red, and considering Skye had red in his aura and he wasn't angry…

"Actually, no. Red stands for anger; green is usually stands for curiosity or sometimes wonder and deep thought," he explained.

"But your aura has red in it? And Justuo didn't seem to be very curious back there."

"When you look at someone's aura, there tends to be a dominating color that usually represents them." Skye paused for a moment before continuing. "For example, Mizu's aura almost always contains blue. Blue just seems to be her essence. Your aura almost always contains pink. But your emotions are the colors that change."

"I get it," I finally said. I blinked, forcing myself to look the other way. My head was actually beginning to hurt. "So what's black mean?"

"It depends," Skye sighed. "It could mean several things, but I think what it was in Justuo was the Darkness he is so close to releasing. When using magic, you're aura will reflect the element you're tapping into."

"Oh. I guess that makes sense then." I opened my eyes and glanced back at him. "So is that why you actually followed me?"

"Honestly?" Skye looked a little embarrassed. "Yes, I guess it is. I figured you'd want to understand what you'd seen."

"Thanks." I gave him a small smile. "My head really does hurt, though, so I'll see you later."

"Looking for aura's can sometimes lead to headaches. They come easier with practice, but don't overdo it, Kairi."

"I won't. Goodnight, Skye," I said, hugging him. He patted my back before releasing me.

"Goodnight, sis."

When I walked through the door, I was caught off guard by the figure standing there. Lancer stood, not far from the door, as if he were about to open it. I couldn't help the smile that came to my face. "Hey, you made it back," I said. In retrospect, I realized how lame I sounded. Of course he'd made it back home.

"So did you," he agreed. I immediately hugged him. He was a bit surprised, but it didn't stop him from automatically wrapping his arms around me. "It's good to see you, too."

I squeezed him tightly for a few more moments, realizing how much I'd really missed him on our trip.

"Do you want a grand tour of your new room?" he asked when I finally pulled away from our embrace.

"I'm too tired tonight," I admitted, and it was too dark in my room to make anything out except for his figure and the bed several feet away. A flickering candle on my nightstand was to thank for the little bit of visual I had.

"I figured you would be," Lancer said warmly. "Get some rest, Kairi." It felt nice to hear him say my name again. He took my hand and led me to the bed. I hugged him again before crawling in and covering up. The bed sheets were cool and felt nice against my skin, but I slipped into sleep before another thought could pass through my mind.

The morning light came pouring through the crevice in the curtains, stirring me from the darkness of sleep. I yawned, slowly forcing my eyes opened. The room around me was disorienting. My bed had remained the same except it had been moved over several feet to sit in front of the fireplace. I noticed why as I took the rest of the wall in. A large flat screen television was hoisted above the mantle, it's screen perfectly smooth and grey. My mouth dropped in surprise; I hadn't seen a flat screen television since the time Rath invited us to play video games in his room.

I had to drag my eyes away from the beauty of technology to finish the rest of the examination. The carpeted floor had remained the same, pink as the lush comforter on my bed. My bookcase has also remained, as well as Kuroyasha's little bed. But to my right, a large, oak desk sat where my vanity mirror once was. On top, a lap top was shut, as if waiting for someone to use it. Pencils and notebooks were scattered on the desk in various places, and I knew someone had had to clue them into the fact that I loved writing. Lancer, more than likely.

On either side of the bed, my nightstands had been traded in for upgrades bearing lamps and more table top space for things. They were oak, matching the same color as the desk.

To the left, two doors that hadn't been there before lay in wait. I slipped out of bed, hoping to not wake Lancer, and quickly tip-toed to the doors. Behind the first one, I large, walk-in closet presented itself. All the belongings from my previous wardrobe had been moved and new ones had been added to compensate the huge size difference.

"Yes!" I whispered to myself, eyes big with wonder. With great difficulty, I moved to the second door and found an even more pleasing sight: my own bathroom. The floors were pink marble tile with pink rugs in front of my beautifully large bathtub, sink, and toilet. The hand towels even matched the rugs! With more content, I noted that the bathtub also had a shower head and a pink shower curtain tucked to one side.

"You like the improvements, I'm guessing," Lancer's voice came from behind me. I jumped only slightly before whipping around and blurting the first thing on my tongue.

"Yes! I definitely like the improvements! You helped them design it, didn't you?"

Lancer chuckled, but a slight flush was coating his cheeks. "Maybe a little, but Ash did a lot of it on his own, too."

"I love it!" I squealed, hugging him again. I hadn't made a noise so girly and childish since before we'd left the Human World. He was startled by the sudden affection, but he welcomed it quickly, hugging me back.

"Good."

"I have to go talk to the others!" I said, suddenly. "Wait until Kiyo sees my TV!" I paused, suddenly remembering Kiyo had never shown up for dinner the night before. I pondered this for a moment before deciding to see her first. With the way she was acting through our mind connection, I guessed she had stayed with Ash in his room.

"I'll be back soon, Lancer," I said, grabbing a pink rob with soft fur from inside the closet. I wouldn't bother with real clothes until I knew the rest of Mpopyya was awake and well. I left my room, making my way towards the staircase – Ash's room was on the third floor, above the throne room while our rooms and the Inner Circle's rooms were on the second floor.

I knocked, and almost immediately, Ash answered the door. I blinked, surprised to see him in his current state. His chest was bare, hard and defined with muscle and his hair was messy with sleep. He only wore a loose pair of pajama pants and a golden chain that I'd often noticed he never took off.

"Kairi, what is it you need?" he asked, voice a quiet whisper. "Kiyo is still sleeping, but I'm sure you could have guessed that."

"Is she okay?" I asked, ignoring the fact that he was half naked. "She didn't come to dinner last night."

Ash seemed hesitant before carefully answering with, "She's been better."

I bit the inside of my cheek, worry licking at my insides. "Oh Fates, is it because the transformation?"

"I suspect that it is." His voice was grave, and my stomach churned, upset by the news.

"Ash? Is that Kairi?" I heard a call from inside.

"Yes, love," Ash answered warmly. His face melted, but his eyes remained hard. "Can I trust you not to mention it to anyone, Guardian Kairi?" I nodded solemnly as Kiyo's voice came through the other side of the door.

"Can she come in?"

"Of course." He gave me a final look before turning his face lighter for Kiyo. I followed, having never seen Ash's room myself. It was big, I could tell that much, but I was too focused on Kiyo's figure, snuggled under blankets and pillows.

"_Shugo_ Kairi," she said with a smile, and I felt my chest warm as I remembered my Human World nickname that Mpopyya used to call me.

"Hey Kiyo," I replied. "We missed you at dinner last night."

"Yeah, I'm sorry I didn't come down." I could tell she was feeling a little guilty by the way her emotions fluctuated as they did.

"It's fine!" I injected. "We were just worried about you is all."

"You shouldn't have been. I'm fine," insisted Kiyo. I bit my gum for a moment. Was she really fine? I wasn't so sure.

"Take your time getting ready, Kiyo," Ash said, heading to a door that I assumed was his closet or maybe his bathroom. "No need to rush, love."

"Thanks Ash," Kiyo said in an almost small voice.

"You're always welcome." This made Kiyo really smile as he disappeared through the door. I crossed the room before climbing onto the bed beside her.

"We need to talk," I whispered. There was a heartbeat of time that seemed to drag on forever as a new idea prattled into my mind; now would be the perfect time for me to tell her about Lightning. We were practically alone, and Kiyo seemed to be open to anything right now. I had to tell her sooner or later, and now seemed to be as good as time as any. I pushed away my squirming feelings in hopes of letting some courage fill the hole. Kiyo finally answered, but not with the reply I had counted on.

"Actually, we really do need to talk." My heart gave a particularly loud thump before I could swallow the knot forming in my throat. Here it came, I opened my mouth to begin my confession just before she continued. "Something happened, Kairi. While we were gone, I mean." Her voice was just above a whisper.

My earlier fears dried up only to be immediately replaced by new ones. Something _had_ happened. Trace wasn't just trying to psych me out. New words formed on my tongue, ready to spill out, but Ash stepped out of the bathroom dressed in a pair of slacks and a loose, cotton shirt that mirrored his eyes. "I'll see you later, love," he, kissing Kiyo on the forehead. She held his hand for a moment before letting it drop and allowing him to leave. After the door shut, Kiyo continued.

"Apparently some kind of battle happened while we were gone." My blood ran cold, but I forced myself to nod.

"Yeah, Trace hinted at that," I managed.

"Edge is really hurt, Kairi," she whispered, eyes teary. "I haven't gone to see him, but he's really bad off."

"Oh no." My chest tightened. "Is he going to pull through?"

"He should," she replied. "Night Rider made the comment that he would be okay, and I don't think Night Rider's really the type to lie to make anyone feel better, especially Ash."

"Oh Fate," I mumbled, pressing my eye sockets to the heel of my palms.

"They sent us away on purpose so that we wouldn't get involved with the battle. But they were also worried that Raven and his little group of 'friends' would have shown up at the castle if we'd stayed. It was convenient to send us away to Feywood because it was far away from Zephyr or for enough so that we wouldn't notice anything suspicious."

Anger flared through me. "Why wouldn't they just tell us the truth? Were they ever going to?!" I couldn't help the next words I said, but I regretted them once I said them. "They've been lying this whole time! I know the war has been raging on!"

Kiyo's eyes widened, and I immediately bit my tongue. Damn, I'd slipped up. "What? There were more battles that we didn't even know about?"

"Yes," I said, defeated.

"How did you find out?" she demanded.

"Trace kept hinting at them, but I didn't believe him until just now," I lied. Guilt cut through me, but I held my ground. So much for telling her the truth about Lightning today.

"What the hell!" Kiyo exclaimed. "We need to tell the rest of Mpopyya about this."

"Agreed," I said, feeling better now that she had accepted my explanation. Trace let a dark snicker emit through my head, and I nearly jumped because I hadn't realized he had been there and listening the whole time.

_Interesting way to take the blame off of yourself, Guardian_. I did my best to ignore him for now.

"Come on," she claimed, hopping out of bed. Her anger and irritation coursed through our connection with force, and it just proved how much this really got under her skin. That's how it was when I realized the truth. I sent a silent thanks to Lightning, who probably still wanted nothing to do with me.

We passed Raj on our way back to Mpopyya's hall. I had to swallow a lot of pride to ask him, "Have you seen any Mpopyya members?"

Raj, making an abnormally big show of the fact that I had spoken to him, put on a face of mock surprise. "My, my, Kairi," he said, holding his arms up. "Are you addressing me? Asking for my help?"

"Can you just answer me?" I asked, not really feeling up to dealing with his theatrics.

"Sure," I replied nonchalantly. "Last I heard, they were in Mizu's room."

"Thanks Raj," Kiyo said, but it was very tight. We darted off towards her room, not stopping to even knock. I burst through the door and-

_Splash!_ Cold water swarmed around me, and I gasped only bringing water into my lungs instead of air. Automatically, I flailed my arms upwards until I broke the surface of water. I choked, spewing liquid from my nose and mouth.

"Kairi!" a collection of voices sounded as soon as I came up. I panicked for a brief moment, unsure how deep the water I was submerged in was. My foot hit the ground, and I quickly gained my footing. When I wiped the water from my eyes, I began to take in what used to be Mizu's room.

Her room had quite seriously been turned into a swimming pool with platforms leading to her bed, – which was hoisted on an island-like platform in the very center of the room – bathroom, and closet. "Mizu, what the hell happened to your room?" I managed, finding steps leading to the platform Kiyo stared at me from. I realized now that I had lost my foot on the slick bridge-like pathway to her bed. Yoru and Yomi were kicked back on her bed, watching with what had once been concern but was not amusement.

"Isn't it amazing!?" she squealed from water. She and Yami swam to the edge of the pool to look up at me.

"Raj told me you were here," I replied bitterly. "He failed to mention the safety hazard."

"What a jerk!" Yomi complained.

"Anyway, we have something to tell you," Kiyo added hastily before an entire conversation of talking bad about Raj could ensue. Her shock at Mizu's room had dissipated into her earlier anger. "Ash, the Inner Circle, and Avalanche have been keeping things from us." I almost felt bad about the last one. I didn't want any more tension between Mpopyya and Avalanche, not after coming as far as we had during our trip to Feywood. It was a short-lived pang of guilt, but it faded when Kiyo launched into the whole of the problem at hand, recapping what we'd spoken of in Ash's room and on things even I hadn't heard.

When she finished, I could sense their anger; my fellow Mpopyya members were furious. "Guardian Haru also died," I piped in, but it was nearly inaudible after the ringing silence that fell once Kiyo had finished.

Kiyo's eyes widened. "I'm sorry, hun," she said. "I didn't even know…"

"I guess they thought Justuo showing up was a great cover up for his death," I mused. "The sad part is, I didn't even realize he was gone until…" I froze, pausing to consider my next words carefully. "Until Trace something about it."

"Honey," Mizu said, climbing out of her pool and hugging me. I didn't reject the hug considering I was already soaked anyway. "It'll be okay."

"Dude I can't believe they've been lying to us the entire time!" Yomi said. When I looked up, she was on her feet, making her way down the path to us. She was offended, and her emotions rang out so much that the flickering auras from last night flared around her, shining with dark blue and yellow flashes against the lighter blues that I guessed were her natural aura colors. I had to blink and look away to force the colors from my vision.

"I know!" Mizu snapped, crossing her arms and fetching three towels from her bathroom. She handed one to me and I proceeded to pull my brand new robe that was heavy with water from my shoulders. "What are we going to do?"  
"And what else have they lied to us about?" Yoru added.

"Maybe everything," Yami said, but she sounded more upset then irritated, probably thinking about the fact that Nightmare was included in the lying. "Who knows?"

"We should confront them about this," Mizu said, crossing her arms over her chest again after wrapping her towel around her.

"Whoa, whoa, hold up," Yomi said, lifting her hand up. "We should plan this out. We can't just barge in there and starting yelling. We should let them feel like there's nothing wrong, and _then_ strike." A sick feeling twisted in my stomach, and I felt like this was going to end badly. Then again, the anger and frustration welling in me was amplified by Mpopyya's anger and frustration, throwing mine up several notches; it made it simple to push away the uneasy butterflies in my stomach.

"Okay, let's do it," Kiyo agreed.

Ash's Point of View

I noticed Raj had a smug air about him as he made his way to his seat around the conference table. I didn't question his mood or his lateness, too busy with the following conversation. I returned my attention back to Justuo and his friends, who were also sitting among us.

"Again, I thank you for your help and cooperation," I said, probably having said it three times since the beginning of the meeting. Really, I was grateful, and I wanted them to understand that I was. "I did have a room allotted to you in your absence," I continued. "It's the large room at the end of the East Wing. Beside that room, there's a smaller one for Serein and Hana to share. I hope this will suffice?" I phrased it as a question.

"Of course," Serein said warmly. "Thank you for your hospitality, Your Majesty."

"It was the least I could for all that you have done." I paused for a moment, feeling unsettled at the memory of Kiyo finding out about the battle. She would more than likely tell the rest of Mpopyya about it, but perhaps she would wait until she was more…emotionally stable.

"We'll be on our way, then," Akihiko said, standing. "My family's been bugging me about coming to visit for a while, and I'm sure people have been missing me in the Human World." I nodded, knowing that was why Hanabe wasn't present during this meeting. She still had school classes to attend being that she was a year younger than Justuo and Akihiko.

"The same goes for me," Justuo replied smoothly. "My parents know, but I still feel bad for not checking in on them."

"We'll be returning to Feywood," Fayt said, taking Serein's hand as he did.

"Me too," Prompto added. Akira remained silent, as he had the entire time, but I knew he'd be returning to the mountains beyond Feywood where his family awaited. Avalanche departed shortly thereafter, leaving me to the remaining Inner Circle members that weren't patching themselves up or checking on Edge in the infirmary. Those that were would join us soon enough.

"Do you think Mpopyya has figured it out yet?" Skye asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Fatewin seemed to be acting strangely last night," Raj commented. Skye shot him an irritated glower of resentment before speaking up on her behalf.

"Kairi has begun to see auras, actually." Interesting news to me.

Raj snickered, and shrugged a single shoulder. "Seems she's coming along just fine," he said.

"Not any thanks to you," Skye replied coolly. "Her abilities are finally beginning to sprout out."

"How joyful," Raj chuckled.

"Keep it calm, boys," Fear laughed. "There's too much tension going on in here."

The door creaked open, and Clover's presence filled the room. Fear's humor dried immediately, and Skye and Raj became silent. "Sister," Tai said, a small smile on his lips. He stood to meet her, and Rath also stood. Clover was taking Edge's condition hard; she didn't like when anyone was hurt, especially so critically.

"Come sit, dear," Rath said, taking her hand just as Tai put his arm around her shoulders. Hazel

"Really, boys, I'm fine," she replied, offering a smile. Her eyes were only a little red, but having known her so long, I knew she had been crying earlier. Negative and Nightmare, both having been sitting near Rath stood and moved a seat down, making room for Clover to sit between Rath and her twin.

Thunder followed her only moments later, taking a seat next to Fear and Night Rider. "How is he?" I murmured.

"Coping," Thunder sighed, meeting my gaze. "His wounds have finally stopped bleeding for now. Hopefully he won't move and reopen them." I clenched my teeth for a moment before unclenching them to reply.

"I see."

"Ash, you can't keep blaming yourself," Fear said, laying a hand on mine. "This isn't your fault." A moment of silence passed, but I refused to reply.

"I'm going to see him," Skye said suddenly. He stood, face blank. A hint of guilt cut through me again. Skye and Edge were pretty good friends, having gone on missions to watch over Mpopyya together before they truly knew about the other worlds.

"Take your time, Skylar," Rath soothed as he went to the door. "We'll wait for you." He didn't say anything in return.

A silence fell upon us before I felt a tug from Kiyo's mind. She was coming. I blinked, and said, "Mpopyya is on their way. Talk about something light."

"Of course, training should be upped so that Mpopyya can get stronger faster," Rath said, smoothly sliding into a characteristic conversation.

"I have to agree with Rath," Fear added, a smile forming on her lips. "The girls need to get a back bone."

"Don't go so hard on them," Clover scolded the two teasing pair. "You shouldn't give them so much grief."

On cue, the door opened to reveal Kiyo and Kairi followed by the other four members.

"Ash," Kiyo said, her smile surprisingly warm. I returned it with one as caring as she came to my side and wrapped her arms around me. I was a little taken aback by her sudden stability, but I accepted it, pulling her onto my lap with ease.

"Hello love," I said lightly. She rested her head against my shoulder.

"I'm glad we're home," she began. "I really missed you."

"Mizu, Yomi, Kiyo, and Yami wanted to come down and see their boyfriends before we went to breakfast," Kairi explained, and Yoru gave an eye roll before smiling. Yami and Yomi had made their way to their boyfriends around the meeting table while Kairi was explaining, and I noticed her vision fell across the room. I followed it and noted that Raj was looking smug again.

I looked back to Kairi and noticed her long hair was damp despite her dry clothes. I realized what had happened before I needed an explanation, and I couldn't help a chuckle. "Did you go swimming in Mizu's room?" I asked. Her gaze turned to daggers directed right at Raj.

"Speaking of Mizu," Mizu started, "where is Skye?" Kairi continued, too caught up in her frustration with Raj.

"Yep," she replied. "I enjoyed the swim. Mizu's room is pretty amazing." There was a bitter tone to her voice.

"I thought so too," Raj laughed. I held in another laugh. Poor Kairi.

"Skye? Anyone?" Mizu asked again.

"I'm sure you did," Kairi mused. "Anyway, are we back to training, training, and more training?" Her voice dulled at the implication, but she tried to keep her face stern.

"Yes, Kairi, time to train with the other Guardians," Rath said taking on a mockingly sinister voice.

"Yay!" she said with a similar amount of mock excitement.

"Don't complain, Fatewin," Raj said, face sobering. "You want to be a Guardian, then step up."

"Chill out, dude," Yomi said from Negative's side.

"Skylar went downstairs to grab something to eat," Rath provided as Mizu opened her mouth to ask for Skye one more time.

"Oh, so he's in the dining hall?" Mizu asked, starting towards the door.

"He should be back really soon, if you want to wait here," Fear said with ease.

"I guess I can," Mizu said, but she put on a pouting face. Kairi seemed to be watching something else, though. She had stopped listening before Raj had even made his comment. She was in a trance-like state, almost like…she was scanning our emotions. That, I realized, was exactly what she was doing.

"I was worried about you," I heard Yami say from the corner where she was hugging Nightmare tightly.

"You shouldn't worry about us," Rath said, waving her off as if she were over thinking a math problem. I felt a shift in the air, then, and I realized we had fallen for a ruse as Kairi spoke up.

"I don't know about _that_."

Then, Yomi said, "Oh yes we do since there's a war going on, and anything could happen while we're away." Her voice was sweet and calm, but Kairi's expression told me that was going to change. "And apparently none of you would have the common decency to tell us; you'd just send us away and lie to us as if everything was right as rain." Her voice became angry, and I noticed her fist was clenched by the end of her sentence. The fake smiles dissipated from the Inner Circles faces as they realized that Mpopyya had found out about our secret.

Skye opened the door, and all eyes turned to him, then. "Did I miss something?" he asked.

"It's about to go down," Yomi said, voice fierce.

**Hello guys! Here's the next chapter! Not as fast as I'd wished, but faster than I have recently! Enjoy it, and enjoy the next set of events! Let me know what you think and always review, enjoy, and ideas are always open! Thanks Yomi for the extra push for this chapter, and thanks for the ideas for the next chapter. 3**

**~Kairi**


	62. An Impasse

**_Chapter Sixty-One: An Impasse_**

Kairi's Point of View

All the smiling faces Mpopyya held before were long gone now. Kiyo slid off of Ash's lap, and her face became hard, eyes fixing on him with anger buried in her pupils. "Kairi," Skye began, moving towards me, but I backed away.

"No," I said, but there was enough conviction in the word for him to realize now wasn't the time for the comforting words that I knew he would try on me. Ash stood, facing Kiyo full on.

"Understand that we were just trying-," he began, but Kiyo cut him off, all that pent up anger that I didn't realize she'd been holding in came to the surface and soon she was screaming.

"You lied to us! Not only did you send us away from the castle so that you could keep the battle quiet but you've been lying this whole damn time!" Kiyo didn't cuss very often…and she wasn't done. "You didn't tell us Kairi's old instructor died? Really Ash?! Why the hell would you try to cover something like that up by letting Justuo fill his shoes!?"

"Kiyo," Ash tried to reason, but I stepped in.

"Guardian Haru died. When? When were you going to tell me?"

"When you were older," Ash replied, meeting my gaze.

"How much older?!" I demanded. Raj and Fear both stood, flanking Ash almost immediately.

"Watch it, Fatewin!" Raj snarled. Ash held his hand up to both of them, silencing them completely.

"…you lie to us this entire time, Nightmare?" Yami was demanding, and I hadn't realized she had begun to confront him.

"It isn't their faults," Ash denied. "If there is one to blame it will be me. I gave the orders to keep it from you."

"Though it wasn't too difficult to follow through with," Raj added, harshness in his voice.

"Shut up!" I yelled, my temper flaring. "I don't have time for your stupidity!"

"You guys lied to us!" Mizu continued. "You can't expect us to just sit here and be okay with that!"

"She's right," Yoru said, her arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Where's Edge, huh?"

I saw Ash's jaw tighten ever so slightly, and several members of the Inner Circle dropped our gaze. Edge and Yoru had been close friends in The Sanctuary, and had been building on their friendship lately. She was probably taking the blow a lot harder than the others were, but she was doing a great job of hiding it.

"What if he had died? Would you have told us about that? Or would you have lied and covered it up like you did with Haru?" Yoru's voice was filled with disgust. "You can't keep hiding us from the problems this kingdom faces. We're a part of it, and we're here to do what we can. Not to be your pets that you protect and take care of."

"That's not what we think," Nightmare denied, but Yami gave him a sharp look.

"You're not in much of a position to talk," she snapped. "You lied, and it doesn't matter what you think; that's not going to change."

Negative looked really uncomfortable standing near Yomi as she ranted off several other things towards Ash and Fear. "You expect Kiyo to rule the kingdom one day, but you keep half of the things that she _needs_ to know from her! These are important things that I think we deserve to know. How are we supposed to trust you if you're always keeping things from us? _And_ how are we supposed to do our part and help out? We have to know these things to actually be able to help! It's almost like you don't have any faith in us." She paused for a minute to let her words sink in before saying, "We really are like your pets. You throw us a bone and expect us to follow without question."

"You don't have the slightest idea what you're talking about," Raj snarled, and I had a feeling that she had hit a nerve with him. "You're nothing but insolent children that act like they know the worlds they've been ignorant to their whole lives! You don't have any experience out of these walls and you think you stand up against Elliot and his armies, but if you were to really come face to face with either, you'd be pushing up daisies." My jaw had dropped in surprise, and I felt the aching feeling hurt blossom in my chest.

That feeling was so suddenly consumed by the other emotions coursing from Mpopyya, particularly the ones that I was connected to, that I could barely recognize my own emotions from theirs. I glared, anger pumping through me.

"You do _not_ want me to take off my shoe," Yomi growled, and her eyes flashed gold.

"A weak threat," he practically spat, closing the distance to her. I stepped forward, eyes flashing dangerously.

"Back down," I snapped, but I hadn't only stepped between them because of her protection, but also because I knew Yomi was about to break loose on him. The familiar sound of her daggers summoning to her hands rang, and I stepped between them further.

"Don't do it, Yomi," Yoru said, putting a hand on her shoulder firmly.

"You'd do best not to threaten me, child," Raj said, voice cold and sharp as his blade.

"You'd do best not to underestimate me!" she yelled.

"I could rip you to pieces, Vampyre."

"You'll do no such thing!" I intervened, venom coating my words.

"Is that so, Fatewin? Are you challenging me?" Raj questioned.

"Maybe she is," Mizu threw in.

"I could dispose of you, too." Raj was really fuming now, and I could tell it wouldn't be much longer before someone was going to have to separate us.

"You won't be laying a hand on either of them," Skye interjected, stepping forward.

"If you want to lie to us then there's really no need to stand up for us," Kiyo growled at him.

Skye's glare turned to her, and he opened his mouth to reply with a retort only to be cut off. "Stop!" Ash said, voice powerful. Everyone fell silent immediately, but I could tell Yomi was itching for more action than she'd gotten thus far. The silence dragged on for only a few more moments before Kiyo spoke.

"You know, it's really crappy that we came over here, sacrificed our whole lives as we knew them over in the Human World so that we could help, and even started painstakingly training every day so that we could be lied to." Her words were cold, but they were true. "Maybe we should just go back there where you can keep us out of the loop easier." Her voice shook with tears, and I looked to her to find confirmation. Sure enough, her eyes were watering like pools, creating a small creek down her cheek. Yomi's face paled ever so slightly, and I saw her sneak a glance at Negative. His face was utterly shocked. So were most of the Inner Circle's. My stomach churned uneasily as Kiyo turned from Ash's almost blank face; I saw the smallest bit of pain touch his eyes, but I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't felt his emotions.

Mizu and Yami followed almost immediately before Yoru and I did as well. Yomi hesitated, looking back at Negative a final time, just in time to see the shock turning into sadness. No one tried to stop us as we left.

"Oh man," Yomi moaned. "I feel really bad about the last part…"

"They deserve to squirm," Mizu grumbled, plopping down on my bed. I had locked the door behind us after unwillingly kicking Lancer out and now held the key tightly in my sweaty palm. It was an old fashioned looking key, like the ones that made it to antique shop shelves in the Human World. I had never had to use it before today.

"I agree," Yomi seethed. Kiyo sat near the fireplace, face drained of all emotion, but on the inside, those emotions were havoc.

"What are we going to do guys?" Yami asked.

"We'll stay in here," Mizu replied. "We don't need them to take care of us."

"We can't just stay in a room for the rest of our lives," Yami argued, and I could tell she was starting to stress over our position.

"We'll stay here until they get the point," Yoru said. She was standing, feeling too tense to sit down right now. "It's seriously not right of them to act like we are nothing more than pawns." I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Instead I sat beside Kiyo and kept quiet as they rambled on several other options and complaints.

It was only an hour later that a knock on the door sounded. Mpopyya fell silent, and when no one replied, a voice spoke. "Kiyo, can we talk?" It was Ash, I realized.

"I don't know," Yomi said, making her voice sound genuinely undecided. "Is every word that will come out of your mouth going to be a lie? Or are we actually going to hear some truth?"

"I don't blatantly lie to your faces," Ash replied calmly. "I just want you to hear me out."

"We aren't in the hearing kind of mood," Mizu called. "So why don't you just leave us alone."

"I was only trying to," he began, but Kiyo cut him off again, speaking for the first time since we had left the room.

"Just leave us alone, Ash!" she snapped, but her voice trembled. I rested a hand on her shoulder in hopes of comforting her. Only silence came from the other side of the door.

Another hour passed, and a second knock came from the hallway. "Guys, you shouldn't be so hard on Lord Ash." It was Rath, I realized. "He's just trying to watch out for you."

"Leave us alone!" Mizu yelled just as Yomi replied.

"Oh really? Is that what he's trying to do? By lying to us about our loved ones, he's trying to watch out for us."

"Yeah, definitely," Rath said, seriousness in his voice.

"You should just leave us alone!" Mizu called again, and I guessed that she felt that repeating herself might change his mind.

"I'm not the only one out here."

"Who else are you recruiting to try to butter us up?" I asked with bitterness in my words.

"Nightmare and Negative." Yami and Yomi both paled then, looking more concerned than before.

"Babe, just come out and let us talk this out," Nightmare said, voice sincere. It was obvious he was talking to Yami. She didn't say anything, but instead turned her face away from the door as if he could see through the walls and right at her.

"Stop trying to get us to come out," Yoru's hard voice answered instead.

"But we were only concerned," Negative added.

"I can't handle this!" Yomi said, raising her arms up in defeat. She started towards the door before Mizu caught her wrist.

"No Yomi!" Mizu said, pulling her back to the bed. "That's what they want, and they need to realize that they can't treat us like crap."

"But Negative really means it," Yomi said, motioning towards the door with her free hand. "He doesn't try to guilt trip me about anything."

"Leave!" Kiyo yelled through the door, and Yomi flinched, almost as if she were imaging Negative's face in her mind. "You aren't getting anywhere here, so just leave!" Again, only silence followed the moments afterward.

"I need a few minutes," Yomi said, walking towards the bathroom.

"I'll come, Twin," Yami replied. I felt bad for them, realizing it must be hard to face your loved one after they had been in on lying to your face. Imagine how Kiyo felt…

I flipped through the channels on my new television figuring there was no other time better than this to see what kind of shows and programs they had here. Several movie channels were the first to be discovered, and I paused on the last one. A girl with green hair was singing on a balcony, Juliet style, but she was alone and overlooking a large, open view of mountains and a valley. Suddenly, a boy came from behind her, hair the color of the white clouds above them. He hugged her from behind, and she reached the peak of her song about love.

"Change this," Yomi said blandly. She didn't need to tell me twice, but I had a feeling she had other reasons for wanting it to change than I did. I flipped it again and found a news channel.

A Felion girl with yellow hair and eyes that seemed to gleam brighter because of the sun shining off of it stood in front of the camera, her face neutral as she spoke.

"_Sources say that the castle has closed its gates and have guardians on duty just outside the walls. The reasoning for this is not quite known. Nathian Galie is on the scene in Zephyr as we speak._" The screen split into another shot of a boy, seemingly a Human, standing at the East Gate. He had purple hair that would have reminded me of Tsu if it didn't have white highlights lighting up the under tones and layers."_Nathian, what can you tell us of the scene behind you?_"

"_It's apparent that the castle gates have been closed up tight,_" he began by stating the obvious; the guards and guardians usually didn't mind if people came in or out of the castle, as long as they were searched – including their minds. I'd never had such problems being so close to the castle, but today, I noted the guards in the wall keeping the doors shut and locked. Yoru glanced outside to the wall that was visible from my room.

"Is that…live feed?" Yami wondered, looking out my open window in hopes of seeing the camera men, but from this distance, even if it was a live feed, we couldn't see them.

"_We have noted that the king is not taking any messages at the moment, and the guards keep saying that until further notice, the castle is off limits to all personnel unless directed by His Majesty himself._"

"What, are we on lock down now or something?" Mizu snapped.

"Maybe they're scared we're going to try to leave without telling them," Yoru suggested.

"So they're locking us in?" I asked critically. "Wow, that's a whole new level of controlling."

"_Do you think this has anything to do with the recent attacks on the cities surrounding Zephyr?_" the girl asked.

"_I'm not sure, Melanie, but what we are sure of is that the king has this castle on lock down for sure,_" Nathian replied.

"What recent attacks is he talking about?" I asked automatically.

"_Thanks for your time, Nathian,_" the girl said, and the screen returned to just her. "_For more information, please stand by._"

"We need to look up those attacks," Yoru said finally.

"Hey ladies," Rath's voice came from close by. I let out a loud yelp before jumping to my feet and looking around in surprise.

"Holy hell!" Mizu screamed.

Rath had his head sticking through my window. He was pulling himself through, having just gotten one foot through. Yomi, with surprisingly fast reaction time, took her shoe and threw it across the room at him. Having the element of surprise against him and having a shoe slam into his face at an unnatural speed caused Rath to fall backwards, out the window and down a two story drop. I winced when he landed with a loud thump.

Yomi went to the window. "I don't even feel bad! How could you use Negative against me like that?!" I scurried to her side, curious to see the damage done. Rath was sprawled in a bush, and I thanked the Fates that he was okay. "Go on somewhere!"

"Ugh," Rath groaned, propping himself up with his hands.

"And bring me my shoe back up here, too!" Yomi demanded. She slammed the window down before stalking back to the bed. She picked up my remote and flicked through the channels furiously.

I cleared my throat and took my seat next to her again. "Try to find another news channel, maybe one that is only for war news or something," Kiyo said. "I want to know more about those attacks on the cities around Zephyr."

"Me too," Yoru agreed, sitting beside me.

"But first, someone should go get us something to eat," Mizu said. "I'd do it myself from the chef, but I don't think I can resist Skye if he tried to get me to listen to him."

"I can't do it," I said, immediately raising my hands in defeat. "Ash would kill me with guilt before I even left the East Wing."

"I'm not going," Kiyo said bluntly. Yami and Yomi didn't even say anything, so I was thankful when Yoru offered to go.

"I'll be back. Any requests?"

Ash's Point of View

I didn't sit in the throne but instead paced the room front while the Inner Circle members watched with worried eyes. The door opened, and I looked up to find Rath walking through the doors. "How did it go?" I asked, cautious to not let any emotion betray me. Judging by the twigs in his messy brown hair, I was pretty sure I already knew the answer, however.

"Yomi threw her shoe at me and knocked me out of their window," Rath explained. As he did, he held up one of Yomi's ankle boots. I felt like slamming my head into the nearest wall. Instead, I looked up at the picture of my parents, wishing they'd have instilled more of their wisdom in me than they had.

"My lord," Fear said, and I felt her hand touch my shoulder. I turned and met her gaze. "You will just have to let them cool down and see if they will listen to reason once they have." At that moment, Jack came bursting through the door.

"Your Majesty, come quick!" he gasped. "Miss Crescentworth left the room and is heading to the kitchen where the chef is!"

"Let's go," Rath said immediately.

"Negative and Nightmare, go upstairs and get to others. Take Lancer and Skye if you can find either of them," I said grimly. "If they won't listen to us, then maybe they'll listen to them."

"Yes sir," they replied in unison, and I felt bad for having to involve more people in the mistakes that I had made and problems I had caused.

"Worth a shot," Thunder said as he thoughtfully crossed his arms. I nodded in response before I followed Rath through the side door that led to the hallway. I felt Fear following behind me. We went to kitchen just in time to find Yoru picking up a decently large bag full of random foods and other odd items they'd probably need in their nest-like room.

"Yoru," I said, hoping she'd listen to me.

"I'm not here to listen to you," she replied rather bluntly. "We aren't going to listen to you until we've earned enough trust to actually hear the truth." She paused before adding, "That is, if we're even willing to listen then."

Mpopyya was really taking this harder than I thought they would. I frowned to myself as she kept walking past us. I had a feeling she wouldn't be listening to our reasoning any more than the others would be.

Kairi's Point of View

The channels flashed by, only pausing to stop for a name of the show now playing. The sound of my door knob turning drew my attention to the entrance of my room, happy to know that Yoru was back with some sustenance; I hadn't even eaten breakfast this morning and my stomach had an empty, hollow feeling to it.

When I saw who came through my door, I forgot about my grumpy stomach. Nightmare peeped into my room, and just behind him in the hallway was my brother, Negative, and Lancer. I ignored the little flip my stomach did at seeing Lancer again. Instead, I shot up to my feet, drawing the rest of Mpopyya's attention to the door.

"What is it?" Mizu asked before her eyes landed on the visitors.

"Out! Now!" I said quickly, knowing none of them could handle seeing their boys beg for them to listen to reason. The ache of betrayal faded to anger, which, of course, only intensified as Mpopyya's did. It was ridiculous how much they were starting to affect me – like everyone else! I clenched my teeth in another burst of frustration.

"Kairi, will you just listen for a second, dear?" My body went stiff; it was Lancer that had spoken. He moved past Negative, stepping into the room and towards me. "You guys really have Ash on edge right now."

"He lied to us!" Mizu growled.

"Why couldn't he just tell us the truth?" Yomi said, voice sounding close to upset. "I don't understand why he would keep important things like that from us. Why _you_ would keep such important things from us." That betrayal seeped into me, charging the anger and frustration.

"It isn't fair," I snapped. Skye stepped past Negative, hand lifted as if in front of a lion.

"Kairi, you need to keep your emotions in check," he said carefully. I turned my glare on him. "You're feeding off their irritation and it is circling back to them. You're like a magnifying glass for their emotions." His words struck me the wrong way, and I only felt the numbing fury increase.

"My emotions belong to me," I snarled. "No one else. Get out of here, now!"

"You heard her, boys, out," Yoru said, pushing past them all with no gentleness at all. She carried a large basket of goodies for us to eat. "We aren't listening to it now, so out." She practically wrangled the boys out and shut the door behind them.

Only then, did my emotions recede. I realized Skye had been right, and that's why I got so mad about it. I bit my lip, mulling this over as Yoru passed around water bottles and cans of soda. "I figured I'd get some pizza, too. It's been a long time since we could all just sit down and drink Coke and eat pizza like back in the Human World."

"Yoru, I love you," Kiyo laughed, seemingly normal again. "That was a perfect idea."

"Thanks, Kiyo," Yoru chuckled. I grabbed a slice of pepperoni. "Now let's find that war channel."

It finally came on channel one hundred twenty-two. "Guys, I think we found it!" Yomi exclaimed, and I couldn't help but think, _This _has_ to be it given the scenery and the news reporter._

Ironically, they seemed to be doing a special report on the attacks on the cities. I had to wonder if something had made sure we would see it…

A man stood in the camera view; he had long, dirty-blond hair and a scar stretching across his cheek. Behind him was a scene as haunting as the day I saw the remains of the desolated town in the Sanctuary. I shivered.

"_This town, Kordinia, was only one in a series of five attacks on villages and towns throughout the Paranormal World._" The camera changed to one that had a good view of the shambled village and several kids playing around in the ashes of a burnt building. Bile rose in the back of my throat. "_The residents of these places were spared – for the most part._" I gruesome scene came up; several girls, all dark haired girls, lay in a row, obviously dead.

"Oh my god!" Mizu gasped as her hand shot to her mouth.

"That's awful!" Yami squeaked, hiding her face in one of my pillows.

"They all look like me," Kiyo barely mumbled, and surprise cut through my sickened feeling. "They…they all look like me, Kairi." I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. I put an arm around her shoulders in hopes of making her feel better. I didn't succeed.

"_After each attack, residual magic was found._" This would be surprising to most citizens because, despite all the people that we knew who knew magic, it wasn't as common as we thought it was. Many people gawked at the sight of magic, much like I'd learned from Azi in the Tavern in Zephyr. "_Even more alarming is the kind of magic found: the rare universal magic, Darkness, was left behind in the calamity of the attackers._"

"I can't watch this anymore," Kiyo whispered, standing. She went to the bathroom, shutting the door behind her. Mpopyya exchanged glances among ourselves as the man continued.

"_It was said that the dark king himself made an appearance at each site. It remains a mystery as to why King Elliot has resorted to doing such a thing, but we will continue to keep tabs on all five cities in the following weeks._" A map of the Paranormal World appeared on the screen with each town had been attacked. My heart fell all the way to my toes before it began hammering uncontrollably. The room even spun a little.

Several gasps came from members of Mpopyya, but Yami and Mizu kept looking at the dots curiously. "I don't get it," Mizu said. "What is wrong with the attacks? Well besides them being attacks of course."

"Dude…They spiral all the way around Zephyr in a circle," Yomi said, standing to trace the attacks with her finger.

"And they are only getting closer and closer to Zephyr," Yoru added rather bluntly. "They don't seem considerably close just looking at the map, but predicting the pattern isn't too hard." She also stood, pointing to the next town that could be attacked. She moved to the next one, then another and another before pressing her pointer finger to Zephyr.

A commercial break came then. "If we can figure that out in only a few moments of looking at the map, then Ash and the Inner Circle could have totally figured that out as soon as they saw it," Yomi said, crossing her arms. "They should be telling us this stuff, guys!"

"I know! I think it's bullshit that they've kept so much from us," Mizu agreed furtively.

"Well I wouldn't call it that," Yomi said, looking unimpressed with her cursing. I turned the television off, still feeling numb. Maybe we were acting a little ridiculously…? If I'd been shown that map, I would've panicked and told them I was staying to help fight them off, so I could understand why they wouldn't want us staying. It was still wrong of them to lie, but really, I could see why they were doing it.

That resolve faded almost immediately; Mpopyya's emotions tangled into mine, and I couldn't help but loathe the idea of them lying to us. It made me want to scream at the top of my lungs in frustration.

"This is so wrong," Yami grumbled.

"Someone go get Kiyo," I finally said. Mizu offered, and I didn't object.

A tapping noise outside my window caught us off guard, we immediately fell silent. Yoru glanced at me, and I nodded, understanding that she wanted to check what it was. She slipped closer to the window before peeking down below to see who was there. She raised an eyebrow before creeping back to my side and out of sight of whatever was at the window

"It's Justuo," Yoru said. "He's throwing pebbles at the glass in an obvious attempt at getting our attention."

"Oh really?" Yomi said, making her way to the window.

"No, I'll handle this," I said, stepping in front of her. I opened the window that led to the slowly approaching dusk. The air had a springtime smell with the bitter bite of a chill left from a retreating winter.

"_Devinia_," Justuo greeted me. I crossed my arms over my chest, leaning against the pane.

"What do you want, Justuo?" I asked.

"To let me into your room," he replied.

"What is this, Romeo and Juliet?" Yomi called from behind me, gaining several snickers from inside, probably from Mizu and Yami.

"You're trying to talk to us about this, too?" I sighed, suddenly feeling weary.

"I'd rather not have to climb the wall to get in through your window, but if I have to, then so be it."

"What do you hope to accomplish?" I asked just as Yomi poked her head out the window and said, "Yeah, go ask Rath how that worked out for him."

"Yomi," I said, trying to hide the smile on my lips.

"What? I'm just saying."

"You're being childish," Justuo said. "Are you going to let me into your room if I come to the door?"

"I don't know yet," I replied honestly.

"I'll just have to bust the door down then," he retorted. "Sounds like they really weren't kidding." The last part he muttered to himself as he began to retreat into the darkening grounds towards the castle's entrance.

"He's coming," I said, shutting the window still spilling cool air into the room.

"Great," Kiyo muttered. She collapsed backwards against my pillows. "I can't resist him any better than Ash." I swallowed a comment that tried to reason the fact that maybe it was time to let this go and talk it out.

"You have to be strong, man," Yomi said, putting a hand on her shoulder.

It didn't take him very long to make it to my door. A knock sounded only two minutes later. "Kairi, let me in," Justuo said calmly. I looked at the others, but they all shook their heads. I mentally scowled, realizing that this really would result in my door being broken down. "You've got five seconds before I bust it open."

"Don't break my door," I complained.

"You know, I think he's crazy enough to actually do it," Yomi commented.

"I know he is," Kiyo groaned.

"Smart of you to realize I will," Justuo replied through a knowing smile. "Two seconds."

"Okay, okay!" I said, quickly running to the door. I took the key out and unlocked it, twisting the knob and allowing him to come inside. He stepped into the threshold before glancing around.

"God, it feels like I just walked into a Disney princess's room with all this pink in here," he said in disgust.

"Thanks," I said with sarcasm. "I like it very much actually."

"You would," he said, offering a small smile.

"So what do you want?" Kiyo asked, but her voice wavered slightly.

"Yeah, let's get this over with," Yomi said, crossing her arms. Justuo ignored her before speaking again.

"So why are you pouting now?" Justuo asked, voice flat. I bit the side of my cheek, realizing that he was going to take an aggressive stand on this issue – something Mpopyya wouldn't like at all.

"Excuse me, fairy boy, but last I saw, you were the one pouting," Yomi snapped, a coolness that usually wasn't there filling her voice.

Justuo's emotions flashed with irritation, but his face didn't show it. I only noticed him tense just a little. "You're right, but at least I can admit my problems and get over them when they're brought to my attention, bloodsucker." That escalated quickly…

"I don't suck blood!" Yomi yelled. "You and you're racist friends need to learn how the difference between the things you hate."

"I think the proper term is speciest…if that's a word," I muttered, but if anyone heard me, they didn't show it.

"You guys are acting childish," Justuo said, voice becoming harsh. Hearing his disappointment slapped me in the face, mentally. "Ash and the Inner Circle made you leave here because the enemies are moving in, and oh what Elliot would give to get his hands on any one of you. He'd have the whole kingdom by the throat."

"He could have explained that to us!" Mizu countered. "We would have listened!"

"And since when do you have such high regards for Ash and his Inner Circle?" Kiyo demanded. "Not even a day ago, you were talking trash about them behind their backs."

"No, you would have demanded that you do something about it, because none of you can stand the fact that you're helpless right now and there's nothing you can do to help until you've grown stronger," Justuo spat before moving to Kiyo's question. "I realized they were right when it comes to how ridiculous you are all acting. You need to grow up and understand that Ash was only trying to do what's best for you."

"We aren't helpless!" Yomi shouted. "We've come this far, we can go even farther!"

"You only got this far because Ash has made it so," Justuo said. He went on, relentlessly. "You think you're so tough and brave, but really, you hide behind these walls like the children you are. You haven't seen real danger yet, and you haven't faced death, stared him right in the eye before beckoning him forward in challenge. You think you can go back to the Human World? You're dead wrong. Your families have mourned. They have accepted their losses. You don't belong there anymore. This is your home now, and it's the only one you've got." His words crushed us; I felt it in each of them. It hurt, so badly, to have those slowly healing wounds gashed open again. I think Yami and Kiyo both were thrown into silence, and I had a feeling they were both about to lose tears.

For a brief moment, I felt the need to look up from the floor. I did, and Yoru's eyes rose to meet my own. In that moment, I knew we were thinking the same thing: Justuo was right. This battle was over. The sting of tears in my own eyes threatened, but I blinked. None of my tears would be shed in front of him.

"That's not true," Yomi said, but some of the fire in her words had dimmed. She glared at him, keeping her voice steady. "We have plenty of friends in the Sanctuary that would take us in."

"If you want to be guilty of treason and sentenced to death for joining Elliot's side, then be my guest," Justuo replied coldly. That drew everyone into further silence; he had done his part. He turned to leave, but not before saying, "If it is required of us when you defect, give me a heads up. Regrettably, I'm sure Avalanche will be assigned to track you down, personally." Fear skirted up my spine, and my stomach twisted at the thought of gentle Fayt, joking Prompto, and sweet Serein coming after us with a ravenous Justuo, Aki, and Akira at the head of the party. Not to mention Hana, who was already pretty scary on her own, following in their wake.

He left the room brusquely, leaving no time for anyone to comment. Then again, no one said anything once he left anyway.

Justuo's Point of View

I came into the throne room to be met by eager eyes. The tough love scene that had just unfolded still rang in my eyes, and rang further on as I explained to Ash what had happened. Clover seemed upset by the time I was done, but I remained impassive, keeping my mouth shut. On the other side of that, Negative seemed almost distraught, but it was hard to say; he usually kept such a stoic face.

"I see," Ash finally said. "I guess we went about this the wrong way."

"Maybe we should have told them sooner," Skye mumbled to himself.

"If Mpopyya hates anything, it's feeling useless," I conceded. "Maybe giving them a few new privileges would help them feel better about it. And maybe an explanation would help to ease their anger."

"Kairi's emotions kept feeding them, which only magnified their anger and contempt at the situation," Skye explained. "I believe we should give them time to recovery after Justuo's…lecture." His words weren't exactly bitter, but I could tell that had a distinct distaste when I was mentioned.

"I suppose so," Ash replied absentmindedly.

"They know they can't go anywhere else," I said. "I saw the resolve in Kairi's eyes. This fight is done now."

"Thank you for speaking to them," Ash spoke after several minutes. "Sometimes it seems Mpopyya needs a little tough love, but not many of us are capable of giving them such."

"Sure thing," I said. Honestly, I didn't like making Mpopyya upset, but sometimes, they were so damn stubborn that they needed things put harshly. Maybe that would keep them from acting impulsively and doing something like running away to the Sanctuary. No way would that go over very well.

"Jack will show you to the room I set up for Avalanche," Ash said. Jack nodded and smiled before leading me away from the throne room. In the hall, I heard the talking pick up back inside. With an exhausted sigh, I followed the servant boy to the room.

I felt weary; I wasn't aligned to Ash in any way, but somehow I always found myself in situations like this. It seemed Mpopyya would always need Avalanche, especially with the way things were going.

The room was dark, but I could still see fairly well. I lit my hand on fire, propelling it to illuminate the room further. The room was huge, much bigger than one of Mpopyya's rooms. I flicked the light on, allowing my fire to die as I did. Five beds were scattered around the room, decently spaced as to give us enough room to live. Several side tables and two desks were also present, bearing lamps, computers and all the like.

The better part of the room, which I couldn't help but really like, was several hammocks that had been strung from the walls. Ash had kept in mind that over half of us are from Feywood, preferring the swing-like beds rather than the stationary beds. I propped my sword against the wall next to one of the hammocks. Then, I eased into the hammock and began deliberating. There was something on my mind I needed to think about.

* * *

**Here it is, guys! The next one is on the way as we speak! Please help with reviews and ideas! I want to thank Justuo Wverdin and Kiyomi Azavenger for the helpful hints and suggestions in this chapter. Enjoy!**


	63. A Truthful Compromise

_**Chapter Sixty-Two: A Truthful Compromise**_

Kairi's Point of View

Everyone was still silent when a final knock on my door came. I hadn't even bothered locking it behind Justuo. "Kiyo?" Ash's voice floated in. She buried her face in one of my pillows, refusing to even reply. With limbs that felt heavier than lead, I went to the door and opened. Ash's concerned face awaited me. "Kairi," he said simply. "May I come in?" I nodded, still not sure if I could trust my voice not to break under the choking grief and truth of Justuo's words.

"Yeah, sure." I moved to the side, allowing him access to the room. He hesitated only a minute before he moved forward, closing the door behind him. I made my way back to the bed, slipping onto it with no further words.

"Do you like your rooms?" Ash asked, his tone light.

"Of course," I said. "You did a good job."  
"I love mine," Mizu admitted. "It's perfect for me."

"Honestly?" Yomi asked. "I haven't even seen mine yet."

"I've only seen Nightmare's. I haven't been to my room," Yami said.

"Mine's pretty good," Yoru said evenly. I had only seen my room and Mizu's room, and as of right now, I wasn't too fond of her pool-like room.

Kiyo didn't say anything, instead preferring to keep her face buried in the pillow beside me. "It's good to know you like them," he began.

"Ash," Kiyo whispered, and if I hadn't been so close to her, I wouldn't have heard her, but somehow, Ash had. His hearing must've been just that good.

"Yes, love?" It made my chest ache for her to hear him call her that.

"They…they looked like me." Kiyo pulled her face away from the pillow and met his gaze. Her eyes were red and puffy from previous tears. "All those poor girls that died looked like me."

"Oh Kiyo," he breathed, crossing the room carefully. "You saw the news." She stood, walking right into his arms where he held her tightly.

"They were innocent," she cried. "They didn't need to die!"

"I didn't tell you because I knew you'd be upset, love," Ash murmured softly. "I didn't mean to cause so much duress among Mpopyya."

"We understand that you were trying to protect us, Ash, but you should really just keep us in the loop," Yomi said, surprising me and several other members of Mpopyya.

"And we can understand why you'd want to keep us out of it," Yami started. "We can really over react sometimes."

"We can start acting more…accordingly," Yoru said, phrasing it so no one would be offended. "We can be more lenient with keeping away from the battles and staying out of trouble."

"Yeah, but you really should keep us in the loop from now on," Mizu added.

"Yes," I agreed. "We're sorry for getting so angry with you, Ashu-Niisama."

"No, I'm the one that should be apologizing," Ash interjected. "I've treated you wrongly, especially ever since the attack on you before Christmas. It's high time I gave you more privileges and trusted you with important information. I just couldn't bear the thought of losing any of you. You're all very important, especially to this kingdom." I couldn't help but smile at that.

"There are quite a few things I have to tell you, then," Ash said, still holding Kiyo. Her head rested on his chest as he continued. "First off, I'll give you permission to take up missions, albeit close ones that don't involve any dangerous action. I would prefer they stay in the vicinity of Zephyr, but if accompanied by an Inner Circle Member or an Avalanche member, I'd be willing to make an exception."

"I'll pass," Yomi said glumly. "I've seen enough of fairy boy for an entire lifetime." Mizu giggled at this, and it felt nice to hear them joking and smiling again.

"That's quite alright, Yomi," Ash chuckled. "Second, I'd like to explain a few things that might help you to understand this world and the others better."

"Oh boy, why do I feel like this is going to change our lives?" I asked, meaning it as a joke, but Ash seemed to think just that.

"I'm sure you've heard references to something called 'the Fates' since you first came to the other worlds," Ash began. "These references are not to be taken as lightly as most would think they are. The Fates are a group of roughly thirty-six people. This group consists of the two most powerful people in each species, one female and one male. They heavily influence the future, the present, and the past. Each are gifted with the sight of all time, visions of the future, glimpses of the past, and everything happening in the present. These powerful people have the ability to influence certain events, molding them to the way they wish to see them." That stirred something up in my mind, but instead of thinking on it, I just listened.

"Oh shit," Mizu muttered.

"Language," Yomi hissed. Ash continued as if the reaction hadn't happened.

"They have been charged with keeping the balance of power in all the worlds, so much so that they've gone so far as to eliminate those who defy the repetition of history and the cycle of time. The Fates are viewed almost as gods in the other worlds, but many believe them as such; ones that don't exist and are much like the gods from mythology in the Human World. Some people pray to them, some are too scared to even mention their name, and there are some they don't even know what the Fates are."

"Oh my gosh," I gawked. "How do _you_ know they exist, Ashu-Niisama?"

"I'll get to that," Ash replied with a knowing smile. "First you must understand something. The Fates' existence is a necessity to the construction of the other worlds. They take care of the people that know too much in the Human World, and they also keep people that threaten the balance and endanger the Human World's ignorance to the other world from entering. The Fates keep the Human World blissfully away from dangers such as our worlds, for a whole world of Humans cannot hope to survive the world in which we live."

"Wow, so they're kinda the good guys," Mizu said with a nod of understanding.

"You are right to an extent, Mizu," Ash agreed. "The Fates keep the worlds in balance, but they also keep power in balance." I had a sinking feeling that that was bad news for us. Honestly, it shouldn't have, right? But somehow, my stomach churned uneasily. "I have been before the Fates several times, sometimes with my parents as a little boy and in more recent years upon their beckon. The Fates do not like the power Elliot has acquired so suddenly. They don't enjoy a force that could cause problems for them, and Elliot is obviously a force to be reckoned with. They have often times asked to help our cause, in secret – you are not to tell anyone this, understand?"

"Of course!" I said, feeling drawn into his conversation. A chorus of agreement rang around Mpopyya before Ash continued.

"Did you accept?" Yami asked.

"I did not," Ash admitted. "But there is reason. The Fates are powerful and they would make an influential ally, but when playing mind games with the Fates, you are playing with destiny itself. Many times, back in the days the Fates were better known throughout the worlds, many people would happen upon them and ask their help, but really, the Fates would use them as their pawn, compromising with them to offer a solution, but only for something in return. It occurred to me that maybe the Fates would be using my kingdom and my allies as cannon fodder to weaken Elliot's kingdom so they may swoop in and deliver a final blow when the time is right."

"They sound manipulative," Yoru mused thoughtfully. "I don't blame you for not wanting to get involved with them."

"Precisely," Ash nodded. "The Fates only care for their balance of power and control, and who's to say that once Elliot is out of the picture, we won't be next?" They made my stomach twist irrationally, and for a moment, I really thought I was going to lose the pizza I had eaten earlier. Thankfully, nothing came up.

"Seriously?" Kiyo asked, leaning back to see his face. "That's not comforting."

"There's nothing we can do about it," Ash sighed. "And on a more unsettling note, I have reasons to suspect they have aligned themselves with Elliot and his kingdom."

"What?!" I demanded as soon as Yomi said, "Are you kidding me?"

"Why?" Kiyo asked, sounding more panicked than outraged.

"Just something I've been thinking about, but it's not solid enough to be considered proof. Honestly, it's not even worth mentioning just yet," Ash reassured, but something told me there was more to his words and theories than he was letting on. Instead of pushing the fact, though, I just kept quiet. I didn't want to fight with Ashu-Niisama anymore.

"If you say so," Kiyo said, resting her head back on his chest.

"I do, love," he replied. "Anyway, now you understand the way of the Fates."

"Interesting," I said.

"Sounds like a bunch of creeps if you ask me," Mizu said.

"They can probably hear us having this conversation, Mizu," Yami said.

"Actually, they probably have seen this conversation coming for some time now," Ash confirmed. That sent a chill down my spine. I didn't like the idea of someone always watching me.

"Great," Yomi grumbled. "Not only do I have to go to Fonda's classes tomorrow, but I have a bunch of creepy guys watching my every move. And can we just talk about how much I am really starting to despise Fonda's classes?"

"You know…I could probably lessen your classes with her, as long as you promise to show up to the ones that you _do_ have," Ash said, a playful smile on his face.

"Wait, you would do that for me, Ashu-Niisama?!" Yomi asked, voice reaching a higher octave in happiness.

"Sure, I don't see why not," Ash agreed.

"Can I get a motor scooter, too?" Yomi asked, clasping her hands together in hope.

"Twin, why the hell would you need a motor scooter?" Yami asked, but she couldn't help but laugh.

"Because it'd be cool to ride around the castle halls on one! Not to mention riding it around Zephyr," Yomi said as if it were obvious.

"We'll have to see about that one," Ash chuckled. Kiyo squeezed him.

"We shouldn't have said what we did about leaving for the Human World," she murmured against him.

"It is okay, Kiyo," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. She smiled, pulling back to look at him. He placed a kiss on her lips, and I couldn't help but feel the warmth welling up in me. It made me happy to see them acting like a couple again.

"Oh, and one other thing. We'll be having a meeting tonight after a dinner. You're welcome to join us so you can get a better briefing of what's been going on," Ash offered.

"Heck yes!" Yomi exclaimed.

"Definitely going," Mizu and Yami said in unison. Yoru and I exchanged glances before breaking into smiles of our own.

"We'll be there," I said with conviction.

"I'm about to starve," Kiyo said. "I need to get some food on my stomach."

"Agreed," I said. "I'm hungry."

"I'll be right behind you guys," Yomi said. "I just want a moment alone."

"Okay," I said, feeling a bit surprised. Yomi was usually all for dinner time, especially if we hadn't eaten much that day. I sensed some melancholy around her, but didn't push her. Instead, the rest of Mpopyya followed Ash out of my room.

About halfway there, Yoru said, "I think I'll join guys in a little while. There's something I want to do before I get something to eat."

"Sure thing," I said, feeling stumped about Yoru also wanting to get some alone time. "We'll be in the dining hall."

"Got it," she replied. I saw her glance past me and meet Ash's eyes for just a moment. He gave the smallest of nods before turning his attention back to Kiyo, who hadn't noticed because Mizu was telling her about Skye's opinion of her room; he didn't like it.

Yoru realized I'd seen, and gave a small smile. She mouthed a word, and I almost gasped when I heard it in my mind. _Edge_. I don't think she had realized the strangeness that I'd heard before she turned and walked the opposite way we had come. But I did know she was going to see her dear friend, who for all we knew wouldn't even make it through the night.

I bit my lip at the sadness this caused me – and Yoru. I hoped he'd be alright.

Justuo's Point of View

The hallway seemed to stretch a long way before the infirmary doors came into view. When they did, I felt a tightening in my chest. I had heard that Edge was really torn up, but I still wasn't sure what to expect. With Mpopyya finally calmed down, I felt that it was okay for me to leave the rest to Ash and the Inner Circle. That was his specialty, not mine.

I reached for the infirmary's double doors only to have them open inches from my hand. Yoru stood in the doorway, her face uncharacteristically grim and pained. It changed to surprise at the sight of me but quickly melted to its normal blankness. "Hey," I said almost blandly.

"Hi," she replied, voice smooth of any emotion. "Here to see Edge?"

"Yeah."

"He's right in there." Yoru turned and pointed to a door in the farther back of the infirmary; I knew the place well. That's where I had recovered after Trace and I fought to no avail. It was only for the worst off patients.

"Thanks," I said.

"Sure," she replied, and she started down the hall. I paused a moment, remembering that flash of pain on her face.

"Hey!" I called after her. She stopped, hesitated for a second before turning to face me.

"Yeah?"

"Are you alright, Yoru?" I asked starting to close the distance between us. "You and Edge are pretty close, aren't you?"

"Yeah, we were good friends before Kairi and the rest of Mpopyya came to the Paranormal World," she admitted, eyes falling. "He's always been really tough, so it's a bit strange to see him so…" She didn't say anything after that.

"I understand," I murmured, feeling a bit useless considering Yoru wasn't one for showing any emotional distress.

"Anyway, go see him," she said. "Don't worry about me. It's him you should be worrying about." Yoru Crescentworth had always been selfless, and this only proved it more. I felt bad for her, but that's not what she wanted.

"Let me know if you need anything," I said. She nodded.

"Of course. And the same to you."

"Yeah, of course," I replied. She turned and left, but I couldn't help but feel that she wasn't handling the ordeal very well. I suddenly felt guilty for saying some of the things I'd said to Mpopyya today. Shaking the feeling, I turned, and began making my way back to the infirmary. Inside, I closed the doors behind me and went to the back room where I knew Edge was waiting. Inside, I found him in a bundle of blankets and bandages.

His eye and forehead were heavily wrapped, and his abdomen and right shoulder, both bare, were wrapped fairly heavily. He must've heard me enter because he stirred ever so slightly. "Yoru…? Did you…return?"

"No, it's Justuo," I said. He blinked his good eye before actually noticing me.

"Oh," he replied. "Come to see my worst?" It was a weak attempt at a joke, but I smiled anyway.

"Nah, came to see if you could use some cheering up."

"Everyone seems worried for my wellbeing," Edge mused, and I could tell he was a bit delirious on some sort of pain medication. "If the Fates beckon me forth, then there isn't much anyone can do."

"I suppose you're right," I said, tone turning thoughtful. "But I believe we have the will to control our own destinies."

"You could be right, you know," Edge said. "Out there, I could have sworn I was going to die. When Ash found me, I could barely make out his words, but I could hear them just enough to understand them. He kept telling me to stay awake and alive." There was a long pause before he continued. "I don't think I would have survived if he hadn't forced me to keep breathing."

"It's a good thing he got to you when he did," I whispered.

"Yeah, that's what everyone has said." His eye drooped with weariness, and I could tell he was losing his battle against the sleep he fought off.

"Don't keep yourself awake just because I'm here," I said. "You need your rest. Gotta get well so you can help whip Mpopyya into shape."

"I suppose your right," he said. A choked noise that was probably meant to be a chuckle came from his throat. "I have a request before you leave."

"What's that?" I asked.

"I know the odds aren't stacked in my favor, and if I were to not make it through this night, will you please console Yoru?" I was alarmed by the request, but I didn't hesitate with my answer.

"Of course," I replied. "But you will make it."

"Perhaps," Edge gave another gruff chuckle that ended in a cough. "But I just wanted to make sure."

"Rest easy, my friend," I soothed. "There will be no need to fulfill your request, but you have my word to just in case."

"My thanks, Justuo," Edge said, but the last was slurred together. He had practically fallen asleep before finishing.

"Goodnight, Edge," I murmured. I kept still for several long minutes before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind me. It was time to prepare for the meeting tonight. I would be the spokesperson of Avalanche after all.

Kiyomi's Point of View

(Reserved for Negathy Moment and Yomi's Room Description)

Kairi's Point of View

Yoru and Yomi eventually joined back up with us, though it was obvious that they hadn't been together. Yomi came into the dining hall with Negative by her side, holding hands. Yoru on the other hand took longer to get here, and I wondered if she was okay after seeing Edge.

Lancer nudged me. I looked back to him from the doors I'd been watching ever since Yomi had come in. "You alright?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm just wondering when Yoru will be along," I voiced. "I'm pretty sure she and Justuo both are supposed to be present at this meeting thing."

"Hey," I heard from behind me. I turned to see Justuo making his way down the row of tables. I felt my stomach churn, remembering the last words I'd heard out of his mouth. "This seat taken?" He motioned to the seat beside me. I shook my head, glancing back to several members of Mpopyya who were seated fairly close; Kiyo was one of them.

"You look a little rough," I admitted as he sat.

"It's been a long day," he said evasively. "Anyway, has Mpopyya solved their crisis?"

"You don't have to be such a jerk," Yomi pointed out.

"If you'd let me get to it," Justuo began, voice slightly bitter, "I wanted to make peace, but I've learned you leeches usually don't have much patience."

"Justuo," I said, under my breath, just as Kiyo pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I don't suck blood," Yomi snapped. "So the leech dis is getting old."

"As I was saying," Justuo continued. "I may have been a little harsh earlier. I didn't mean to sound so heartless."

"It's okay," I replied softly.

"Guess we needed to see reason somehow," Kiyo said, attempting a joke. "You're one of the only people that can do that."

"Probably because we're just as stubborn as he is," Yami teased. I think that loosened everyone up. Yami had the effect of being a great ice breaker in awkward situations.

"Like teacher like students," I chuckled. Justuo let a smile slip onto his lips before nodding.

"Fair enough," he conceded.

"Yeah, yeah," Yomi grumbled before hiding a smile behind a sip of some kind of soda she had held onto since before we left Avi's apartments. I grinned to myself, feeling warmer than I had all day. A twinge of despair pushed into me, though, and it fluctuated before starting to ebb away slowly. I scrutinized the strange feeling before checking Kiyo, Yomi, and Lancer's connection only to find tranquility, happiness, or calm thoughts. I stretched farther through my mind, feeling for Trace and Kuroyasha next, but they were fairly neutral, too.

"Kairi," Justuo said. I blinked, looking back to my friends. The feeling disappeared immediately. Justuo was looking somewhere else entirely, though. He was watching Yoru make her way down the row towards us. I smiled, waving to her. She noticed before forcing a small smile of her own. Her emotions told another story, however. The despair I had felt was hers, I realized with a start. Had we formed a mind connection…? I scooted over, patting the seat next to me. She sat.

"Hey Yoru," Yomi said cheerily.

"Hey guys," she said, but she sounded tired. Had anyone else noticed, though?

"How are you feeling?" Justuo asked. I glanced at him in surprise, but said nothing.

"I'm feeling fine. Ready for this meeting," Yoru reassured us, offering another grin.

"So am I!" Yomi said, excitement coursing through her.

"Speaking of which," Kiyo added, and her gaze fell on the Inner Circle up front. "We should be heading towards the meeting room." Only a few members were left at the table they usually ate at.

"Awesome, let's go," Yami said, pulling Nightmare up from the seat beside her. Skye chuckled at something Mizu said before he helped her up, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. I stood as well.

Lancer followed us all the way to the meeting room before giving me a hug and parting ways with the rest of us. "Kairi, just the girl I wanted to see," Rath said from inside the room. I raised an eyebrow at him as we made our way into the huge room that awaited me. "There are several concerns, I'm sure you'll understand why, that members of the Inner Circle have with your connection to Trace." A sinking filled me.

"I didn't even think about that!" I exclaimed. "What can we do?"

"We'll just have Lord Ash seal the connection until the meeting is over," Fear chimed in, stepping forward. "After it's over, he'll seal the memories from him so he won't have access to them later."

"I thought that it should be up to you, though, Kairi," Ash's voice said from behind me. I turned and saw him walking through the doorway, a polite smile on his face.

"I don't mind. As long as I can stay for the meeting," I said quickly, fearful of the idea of not being present.

"No worries, Kairi," he chuckled. "I will take care of it. Go ahead and take a seat among the other Mpopyya members."

"Thanks, Ash," I replied warmly. I took a seat next to Yoru and Kiyo, who were motioning me towards the seat between them they had saved. Justuo sat next Yoru, which was empty considering Yomi, Yami, and Mizu were sitting with their boys. Kiyo was right next to Ash's right, and when he sat, she took his hand immediately; I assumed the fight we had just had had really upset her. Kiyo hated being angry with Ash.

"Everyone ready?" Fear asked from Ash's other side. "I think it's time for this to begin."

I felt it, then, the tingling of someone in my mind. I shivered involuntarily, feeling the need to scratch at my head, as if it would help the sensation, but I knew it was Ash. He wouldn't harm me. He just wanted to keep Trace from looking in on the meeting.

_Ah the secrets I'm kept from,_ Trace's voice chuckled in my mind. I guessed Ash refused to comment because he said nothing in response to Trace's dry tone. Instead, a strange dizzy feeling overcame me before a sharp pain sliced through my mind. I withheld a gasp, knowing full well Mpopyya would have worried if I didn't. But then it was gone, just like it had been before we went into Feywood. I no longer felt Trace's presence, which, again, made my head feel oddly empty. I guess Trace's presence was just so potent that when he was gone, he left everything hollow.

"Rath, if you will proceed?" Ash asked. Rath stood from his chair around the circular table, making his way to the front of the room where a large white screen flickered to life. It showed a blown up picture of every city and town within several hundred miles of Zephyr. The Feywood's forest loomed in the east, covering a decent size of the map and stretching to the edge of the map and beyond. Red dots and names of cities spiraled around us, just like it had on the map we'd seen on TV.

"We know they're threatening Zephyr," he began. "Each attack gets closer and closer, covering more distance each time. It would seem they're getting more daring with each attack. The fact that we have only just now started opposing them is probably why they've come this close to Zephyr begin with."

"Rath is right on that," Ash agreed solemnly. "We should have acted sooner." Fear rested a hand on his arm before moving to the next point.

"Judging by the traces they leave behind, it's obvious that someone with potent control over Darkness is helping them," Fear said, and as she did, images of the towns popped up, each over the corresponding dots and names. The villages looked burned with ravaging fire with ashes and charred building lying in piles everywhere.

"Could be done by Trace or Even, judging by what Justuo has told us of his time with them," Tai said.

"But they would have to be able to used fire as well," Clover pointed out, and I wasn't sure if she was finishing his sentence or stating another. "Trace is not an option."

"Nor is Even," Justuo added.

"My thoughts exactly," Ash murmured.

"That magic is familiar, though," Justuo said, almost as if he were thinking aloud to himself. "I've seen it somewhere, but I can't remember where." A long silence followed his comment before a squeak sounded from Kiyo.

"Oh my god," she said, and I felt shock course through her as well as a sickly feeling of fear. I looked her way, surprised by her sudden change in emotion. "It's Raven." The blood drained from my face.

"That's it!" Justuo agreed, revelation lighting up his face. "Raven has the ability to infuse the elements with Darkness, so this could have been his doing."

"That or another Dark Phoenix of his magnitude has joined Elliot's side," Nightmare replied grimly.

"No," Ash said, shaking his head slowly. "That's unlikely, not with so few Phoenixes about in this day and age. I believe it is Raven that did this."

"But Trace was reported seen at every attack," Thunder stated. "Raven can't be the only one behind this."

"So in short, Elliot and Raven are working together," Fear said her face showing realization. "Makes sense. With Raven holding so much standing with the…" Fear stopped immediately as if she were reconsidering the way she phrased the rest. "With the worlds' fate it would make sense as to why Elliot would want to work with him."

"What, does he have some sort of deal with the Fates or something?" I asked my brow furrowing.

Ash and Fear exchanged glances for just a second, but when Ash met my gaze, he knew I had noticed if no one else had. "I promised to keep no more secrets," he finally said with a sigh of uneasiness. "Raven happens to be a Fate himself."

"Wait, what?" Mizu asked. My mouth fell open. It was then that Kiyo made a noise half between a cry and gasp. Her face drained of all color before she tipped to the side, as if fainting.

"Kiyo!" I gasped, grabbing her shoulder before she fell from her chair.

"Love!" Ash said, immediately standing and scooping her up. Justuo tensed, as if about to stand and do the same thing, but he stayed sitting. "Kiyo, dear, are you okay?"

Incoherent words came from her mouth as she tried to grasp the fact that still hadn't sunk into my brain; an all-powerful being that was practically worshipped by people in the other worlds was after her. "Why…?" was about the only thing I made sense of coming out of Kiyo's mouth.

"Shh," Ash murmured.

"Ash, you need to take her to her room," Fear said, standing too.

"No!" Kiyo yelled, and it was the clearest thing she'd said since she'd nearly fainted. "No, I'm fine. I'm staying!" Her voice trembled, but it was still fierce. She wriggled in Ash's arms, signaling that she wanted to be put on her feet. He obliged. When she had her bearings, she spoke again. "I just wasn't expecting that, okay? I'm not leaving, not now, not anymore."

"Are you sure?" Yoru asked, concerned.

"I am," she replied boldly. "Really, I am. I will be fine. Just give me a second to recollect my thoughts on that…um problem." She seemed almost out of breath, as if she'd been running for miles. A thin layer of sweat was visible on her forehead.

"Kiyo, deep breaths," Ash said. She closed her eyes, complying. Several long moments passed before she had calmed enough to talk.

"Raven is a Fate," she repeated to herself. "Why does he want me?" Her eyes opened, meeting Ash as they pleaded for answers from him. He opened his mouth, but closed it. His eyes were pained, but he didn't show it on his face.

"I don't know, Kiyo. We've been trying to figure that out for a while." He tried to sound soothing, but really he was just frustrated that she had to have found out about it the way she did. She nodded numbly.

"Do you want to continue?" he asked.

"Yes, we have to," Kiyo said. I could practically hear _I have to_ echoing through her head instead.

"Go on," Ash said, directed towards Rath.

Rath cleared his throat before saying, "Of course, Lord Ash." He turned back to the screen. "Our best prediction of their next target is either Zantia or the next closest city in the east." Rath pointed to a small purple dot fairly close to Zantia, but farther north of us. "Lamillia."

"Lamillia is bigger than the other towns, but not as big as Zantia," Ash explained. "It would be most likely that the enemy forces will go there instead of Zantia. As bold and daring as they may be, Elliot is not a fool. He won't send them so close to the castle where I have my legions at the ready."

"What would be the best course of action?" Night Rider asked. "Should we blockade the city?"

"We could," Fear said. "But it may make Elliot think that's where we've got Kiyo and her friends holed up."

"That could bring unnecessary attention to Lamillia." It was Rath that spoke this time, tone thoughtful.

"Perhaps a sneakier idea is better," Justuo finally said. "You have allies in the Sanctuary, correct?"

"We do," Ash agreed.

"Have them look for movement from Elliot's armies. Once there's been obvious movement of forces over there, send a dispatch out to meet them on his territory instead of having them bring the fight to yours," Justuo explained. When Ash didn't respond, I glanced at him. He seemed lost in thought, so much so, that he didn't even realize Kiyo was saying his name until she took his hand in hers. He glanced down at her, seemingly lost in another time. Maybe he was remembering something from a past life.

"That's a very good idea, Justuo," he said after a moment of recollecting himself.

"Thank you," Justuo replied, surprised that he'd gotten that much of a compliment from the king.

"I'm sure our friends from the Sanctuary would be willing to help, too," Yoru commented. "They oppose Elliot's tyranny just as much as we do."

"Yeah!" Yomi agreed. "We could ask them to look out for weird activities going on over there and they could report back to us or something like that."

"That's something to consider, for sure," Fear said. "If we were to have intel from the rebels over there, it would help our cause profusely."

"I'd be willing to help with carrying news and messages back and forth," Nightmare offered, but I could tell Yami wasn't happy with the suggestion. She held his hand a little tighter than before. "And I'm sure Edge won't mind helping once he recovers." Nightmare didn't hesitate to say that he _would_ be getting better.

"I'll help, too," Yoru said. "They know me well, there, and I'm sure they'd be willing to listen more if I were to stand up for your kingdom."

"Very well," Ash agreed, a smile on his face. "We will arrange a trip within the next few days to their settlement at Fantasy Fang."

"Thank you, Ash," Yoru said smiling genuinely. It was the first real smile she'd cracked since learning about Edge.

"I want to help, too!" Mizu exclaimed. My smile turned into a laugh before I raised my hand.

"Same here! I'll help out wherever I can."

"I'll need you guys to be at your peak performance for when we get the information on Elliot's armies," Ash chuckled. "Just keep training so you'll be ready to face the threat."

"Yay!" Yomi cheered, her face alit with happiness. Their feelings of warmth and happiness flowed around me, putting me in a giggle-worthy mood.

"So everything is set, then?" Rath asked amused.

"Yes, meeting adjourned," Ash nodded. "I'll be getting back to you all on the trip to visit the Sanctuary rebels."

"Yes, sir," echoed around the room from nearly everyone, and for once, I felt useful. Things were going to change. We were finally going to be of use.

**And here it is! Finally! Haha, thanks guys, for reading, those that still do. I hope that you enjoyed the chapter, and I really hope you guys review. ;) Leave ideas or comments, feelings, ect. And always, enjoy! Thanks to everyone that's been helping recently, including a thanks to Yomi for the fight ideas, a thanks to Kiyo for inspiring me to take this direction with the story, and a thanks to Justuo for guiding the direction, especially at the end: The war advice was definitely helpful. Anyway, the next chapter will be up asap! I have a few loose ends to tie before I start the battle, then, it's the final stretch!**

11


	64. Only the Beginning of the End

_**Chapter Sixty-Three: Only the Beginning of the End**_

Training resumed the next day, just like normal. Everyone attended and no one even mentioned the fight from the day before. Much to my surprise, Misula showed up halfway through our kicking drills. She was dressed for training, face blank as she approached the group. Rath glanced up, giving her an inviting smile. She returned it with a timid one of her own.

"Go run a few laps, Misula," Rath said. "Warm yourself up and then jump in when you finish."

"Yes, sir," she replied. Her eyes landed on me for just a moment. I gave her an encouraging look, and her smile grew, turning more genuine. _Thanks_, she mouthed to me. I nodded slightly. She started jogging towards the track without any further hesitation.

Justuo and Aki joined us just as we were about to start practicing with magic. Those that couldn't use magic were usually paired up with ones that could. The ones that couldn't usually dodged or defended against magical attacks while we had the chance to practice on moving targets. Thankfully, Misula and I were teamed up. Even more thankfully, Justuo decided to critique us considering I was training under him.

"Okay, Fatewin, Diani," Justuo boomed, voice filled with energy and face alight with happiness. He seemed to have gotten rid of some of his anger from over the weekend and the past few days. "Let's see if we can get some blue fire today." I cringed at the thought of working with blue fire today. All magic had certain levels of intensity, and Justuo was dead set on pushing me into learning level two fire magic. With fire, the level usually depending on how hot the fire burned, according to Justuo, and fire changed color throughout the levels depending on said hotness. Blues, purples, and pinks were level two, which excited me beyond imagination, but it was hard as hell to even conjure purple flames, much less blue.

"Blue fire, Justuo?" I asked uneasily.

"Don't sound so pathetic! Look lively," Justuo called. Misula and I couldn't help but crack a grin at that. "Let's see some blue fire!"

I took a deep breath, hoping to clear my thoughts. She took on a fighting stance, her face clear of the earlier smiles. I summoned fire, red and hot but not nearly hot enough. Another breath before I forced it to heat even further. It darkened to purple, flickering and fluttering, but not nearly as much fire remained on my palm. I felt my energy magical energy draining faster than before. I blinked, taking yet another deep breath before forcing more energy into the flame, drawing more heat from around me. The purple lightened, turning bluer than I had ever seen it.

"Good job, Kairi, not send it flying!" Justuo said. I felt a trickle of sweat drip down my face; the fire flew forward with my will for it to do so. Misula lunged out of the way before the ball of fire scorched the wall behind her. I blinked, dizzy with weariness.

"I don't think you should play with the blue fire anymore, Kairi," Misula chuckled. "You're looking pretty worn down and we haven't even sparred yet."

"She's right," Justuo agreed. "I'm glad that you go in one good blue ball of fire. Take a few seconds to regain your breath." I hadn't realized I was winded until he mentioned it.

"Right," I said in recognition.

"You did good, Kairi!" I heard Kiyo calling. I turned and smiled her way, surprised that I'd forgotten she was watching me today. Yoru was being briefed on her mission and goals in the Sanctuary, so Kiyo said she'd come cheer me on until Yoru could regroup with me. Mostly, she was silent, so hearing her speak up had caught me off guard.

"Thanks Kiyo," I replied. She smiled before glancing back down at the book she'd brought along with her. I shook my arms out, closing my eyes to enjoy the blissful breeze that decided to grace us with its presence.

_Great job, Guardian_, Trace said. _You deserve a gold star_.

_Are you anything besides sarcastic?_ I asked, refusing to let his teasing get kill my good mood.

_Only sometimes_, Trace chuckled. _I tend to let sarcasm be my top characteristic._

_You don't say?_ I replied, feeling the need to roll my eyes.

_Watch out for Mr. Smart Ass_.

_What?_ I asked, feeling confused by his sudden change of subject. The next thing I heard drew my attention away from Trace.

"Way to go, Fatewin." I opened my eyes, dreading the voice that had spoken. "Really moving up in the ranks now, aren't we? Blue fire is impressive." Justuo and Aki had disappeared, but Raj was making his way across the training grounds, heading straight for me. "But you should already be throwing blue fire balls and detonations left and right by now, especially if you want to be the queen's guardian."

I watched him incredulously. "I don't see you doing any better," I snapped.

"That's because I don't need magic to enhance my fighting capabilities, unlike you and the rest of Mpopyya."

"Stop trying to start a fight, Raj," I replied sharply. "You can keep your nose in someone else's business."

"You have a short temper, just like your brother," Raj commented. "Guess it runs in the family. You should fix that before it gets you and your friends killed."

"I have little patience when it comes to antagonistic jerks," I shrugged. "You have an unbelievably annoying way of sticking your nose in places they don't belong."

"You're starting to sound like a broken record, Fatewin," Raj laughed. "You need some new material."

"Stop picking on her," Misula said, crossing her arms. "She does her best." As Raj turned to her, I had the unsettling instinct that he was about to say something that would make Misula snap back into that darker part of her that she'd discovered while with Elliot. I quickly intervened, the sneer only seconds from spilling from Raj's mouth.

"Why don't you just spar me and get it over with," I challenged. "That's probably why you came out here in the first place."

"A spar? You want to spar?" Raj seemed utterly shocked by the accusation, but it melted to amusement faster than I could blink. "If that's what you really want, Fatewin." Actually, I wanted the opposite. I wanted Raj away from me, but there was no way that I was about to let him know that. On top of that, I most certainly did not want Misula returning to that dark corner of her mind everyone had worked so hard to pull her out of.

"You're on," I said, stepping into a defensive stance.

"This won't take long," Raj chuckled.

Kiyo Point of View

I was sprawled out on a blanket in the gardens trying to read one of the only books on Phoenixes Ash had given me. Well, I was trying too. I kept getting distracted by Kairi's training session. I let myself slip back into her mind. Last I had checked, she had summoned blue fire and was tossing it around. Now, to my surprise, she was sparring Raj.

Justuo didn't seem to be around, and Raj was being a little too rough for my liking. "Come on, Fatewin. Are you even trying?" he called as he landed a hard punch to her jaw. I winced, her pain radiating through our connection. An anger rose inside me and also in her. Kairi blocked his next advance cleanly, but he was closing in fast. "If I were an enemy, Her Majesty would already be dead," he spat.

"Kairi!" Misula exclaimed.

I pushed myself up off the ground, not even worrying that I had just lost my place in the Phoenix book. Kairi ignored his comment and landed a blow that knocked him back a few steps. That was my guardian! Raj lost his smirk and, with way too much force, roundhouse kicked Kairi right her stomach. She made a grunt of pain, her face contorting before she crumbled to the ground. Oh no. I started running towards the training fields. Despite her crumpled form, her emotions tore through the area; angry, furious, hateful. Without realizing it, she was influencing Raj's emotions, too.

"You are such a pathetic child. You are a disgrace to this kingdom, and we should have left you there to die when Elliot attacked you." I had reached the edge of the training grounds by then, but Raj hadn't seen me.

"That's not what my punch to you just now said," she retorted roughly. I think it only made him angrier. Kairi tried to get up, but he pushed her back down with his foot forcefully.

"Come on, almighty guardian, get up." That jerk was going to pay for this. I just scarcely saw Justuo and Aki returning from wherever they had gone; it was already too late.

"I don't know who the hell you think you are, but you better not lay another damn finger on my guardian," I shouted in outage just as I stopped near Raj; even I was impressed with my use of curse words. I felt my Darkness swirling in me, but I didn't care enough to calm it. Raj was going to feel my wrath. I guess he didn't realize it was me because he swung his fist around with some ungodly force and hit me right the face. I flew back a few feet and landed with a thud. Pain pulsed through my face. "Ugh," I cried out. Raj's face drained of blood when he saw he had hit me.

"Your Majesty, I-," he began, starting towards me quickly. That is, until Justuo tackled him to the ground. My eyes landed on Kairi, who was already fuming, as Aki helped her up from the ground. Misula wasn't fair from either of them, eyes watching Justuo and Raj intently.

"You son of bitch, I'll kill you," Justuo raged as he punched Raj right in the nose. Hard. A loud crunch even sounded.

"Kairi?" I heard from somewhere near. "Kiyo?" I glanced up and saw Yoru jogging towards the both of us, face showing concern. Ash wasn't far behind. She made it to Kairi as Justuo slammed another punch in Raj's face.

Before Raj could retaliate, Ash's voice rose above the commotion. "Enough," his voice boomed. Then, he was there, picking me up off the ground and holding me close to him so he could examine my face. I could already feel it bruising with each throb in my cheek. "Are you alright, love?" he asked me softly. I nodded. Then, he turned towards Raj, who was still pinned under Justuo. "Move," he said to Justuo, and we could all hear the filtered anger in his voice.

Justuo immediately came to my side and cupped my face to examine it. "It'll be an ugly bruise, but you should be fine," he whispered. Aki, Yoru, Misula, and Kairi joined us just as he glanced towards Ash.

"I'll kill him," Kairi growled. I squeezed her hand to calm her.

"What happened?" Yoru asked her quietly before Kairi launched into a quiet, quickened version of the dispute. The rest of the training ground had gone still in the presence of their king and his loud outburst.

"Ash will take care of him," Aki muttered. Raj, having to work to stand up after the disorienting punches Justuo had delivered, finally got to his feet and stood before Ash.

"My lord, I didn't mean to hit the queen. It was an acci-," he started before Ash barely flicked his wrist. Raj flew into the wall next to them, the one Kairi had scorched only minutes ago. Ash grabbed him by his shirt collar and shoved him against the wall again, for extra emphasis on his next words.

"You ever touch her or Guardian Kairi again in anything more than basic sparring hits, and I will hurt you and you will no longer be a part of this kingdom." Ash spoke so calmly that the hair rose on my arms. "Now go apologize to both of them," he finished.

Raj walked glumly toward us. Stupid bastard. He turned to Kairi first. "I am so sorry, Guardian Kairi," he mumbled.

"You can do better than that," Justuo spat.

"No, let him grovel for Ash's forgiveness." Her voice was laced with anger. Then she leaned in close to his face, so close that I'd wager Raj could smell her breath. "If you ever so much as touch my protectant again, so help me Fate, I will make you regret the day you were born," she growled. Her voice raised the hairs on my arms, too. She was deadly serious, and I was positive in that moment that she would kill him. Raj turned to me, but before he could even get the words out, I punched his in the jaw, just as he had punched Kairi in her jaw. He stumbled back, clutching his jaw. I don't know if it was the surprise or the force behind my hit, but I knew I hurt, especially after all the hits he'd taken from Justuo.

"That's my girl," Justuo cheered, and Ash kissed my forehead.

"Nice hit," Yoru complimented.

"High-five Kiyo," Kairi cheered. We slapped our hands together like we used to all the time. Aki offered to take Raj to the infirmary to be healed. I healed Kairi's bruises and my own before I left her to train with Justuo, Misula, and Yoru.

Kairi's Point of View

Another meeting was called before dinner, so training was cut short and Mpopyya, several Avi members that had returned with Justuo, and all the Inner Circle were rounded up to be briefed on the plan.

"Edge is finally on road to recovery," Ash announced. "He will, however, be out of commission for the next few weeks. This means that the Sanctuary mission will have to proceed without him."

"Yes, my lord," echoed around the room.

"The mission will consist of Nightmare, Negative, Rath, Justuo, Aki, Prompto, and Yoru. They will journey to the settlement where a treaty will be introduced. If they're willing to agree to help by giving us intelligence, then we will do our best to send supplies and support to their cause."

"Sounds good, sir," Yoru said, a smile on her face. "I really appreciate this."

"I'm glad to help, Yoru, especially where it is most needed. The rebels on the front lines have been fighting a war of their own, and I believe that it would be most beneficial to both of us to help one another."

"I'm sure they agree," she replied with a nod.

"Is everyone clear on our intent?" Ash asked. Agreement rang around the room. "Good." His voice was relieved. Kiyo cuddled into his side; he wrapped his arm around her tightly in response. "Meeting adjourned."

Kiyo's Point of View

Later that night, I was heading towards my room from the dining hall when I heard the sound of hushed voices. I paused at the corner leading to the throne room to see Ash and Raj walking that way. I raised an eyebrow, curious as to what else Ash was planning on doing to him as punishment. I waited until they disappeared behind the throne room doors before following in my best spy impersonation I had. Unbelievably, I managed to tiptoe all the way down the corridor without tripping once.

There, I strained my ears to catch little pieces of their conversation. "…legitimately hurt Kairi, today, Raj," Ash was saying in a hard voice.

"I am very sorry, my lord," Raj replied, voice weak with what I guessed was weariness. "Her emotions impose upon everyone else so vastly that it's hard to discern which are mine and which are hers."

"That's not excuse!" Ash hissed. "You're one of the Inner Circle members. It's your responsibility to have more self-control than the ones that train under you."

_She'd never actually train under him anyway_, I huffed in my mind.

"The child needs to learn some self-control herself," Raj retorted, but he didn't sound half as sarcastic as he usually did.

"If you don't think you can handle sparring or training with Kairi and her friends, then I will not allow it to go on any longer," Ash snapped. "You hit Kiyo, right in the face!" His voice was scarier than death in that moment.

When Raj spoke again, his voice held shame. "I am aware, your Majesty. I am so very sorry. I never meant any harm by it, and I will never forgive myself for harming the queen. I will do my best to learn better control and resistance to Kairi's emotional torrents."

"Very well," Ash said voice cold. "That is all then."

"Of course, my lord," Raj replied. Suddenly, I realized that was my queue to get out of sight. I took off running down the corridor, hoping to get out of there faster than Raj could get to the door.

Without looking behind me to find out, I darted down the adjacent hall and didn't stop until I made it to my room. My breathing was heavy at the sudden burst of physical activity, and my chest burned with that unnatural fire that tended to come out when my transformation was acting up. I coughed in vain before dragging my feet to the closet to find a comfortable pair of pajamas. It'd be best not to mention that my chest felt like it would burst to Kairi or the rest of Mpopyya. They might over-react to the information.

Instead, I climbed into bed, pulling the covers over up to my chin. Another round of coughs choked me, finally settling after several of my stomach cramping with the convulsing burdens.

Yami's Point of View

The room seemed even emptier than usual as I dried the red tips of my hair with the red towel. I sighed heavily, dreading the idea of Nightmare leaving me to go on a mission. The thought tore me apart on the inside, but when he opened the door, looking absolutely stunning as usual, I didn't voice my worries. He, too, had wet hair, though it had mostly dried by now. He'd woken much earlier to get a shower before leaving.

Nightmare smiled at me before taking my hands in his. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

I bit my lip in hesitation. "Don't go," I whispered desperately. He seemed conflicted when he heard my answer.

"You know I have to," Nightmare whispered back to me. "I can't let the guys go alone. If something happened to one of them because I wasn't there, I'd never forgive myself. Plus, everyone in the Sanctuary trusts me just as much as they trust Yoru, Negative, and Edge."

I met his eyes. "What if something happens to you?"

"Nothing's going to happen. I'm invincible," Nightmare replied, a hint of humor in his voice.

"But you're not," I whispered, unable to help the response that came to my mind. "You're not invincible." Nightmare sighed, and pulled me into his arms. I rested my forehead against his shoulder.

"This is how I feel every time you're out of my sight. I'm terrified that you're never coming back to me." He tilted my chin up, looking me in the eyes, and I stared into his natural green eye ones. "But you do come back. You have to trust me, love; I will come back to you." I sighed before speaking.

"Hurry," I finally said. Nightmare smiled gently before kissing me softly; I melted into the kiss for a second or two.

"You're sure you don't want to come down and see me off?" he questioned after pulling back.

"I can't see you leave. Just hurry back," I replied. He kissed me again, this time a bit longer. I soaked in every second of it.

"I will," Nightmare promised. I pursed my lips and nodded as he let go of me. I turned the other way so I didn't see him walk away.

Yomi's Point of View

A noise aroused me from my sleep, and I immediately sat upright in bed. The dawn had only just started to filter light over the horizon's edge, in turn, lighting my room faint glow. With my Vampyric sight, I could see most of the room's details in the dimness. He was standing close to the couch, pulling on a coat over his shirt. Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was the dark blue, mid-sleeve coat I had gotten him. I smiled. He looked up at the sound of my ruffling sheets as I climbed out of bed and made my way to him.

Negative took me into his arms as soon as I was by his side. "Good morning," he murmured in my ear. I pressed my forehead into his chest. "You're up early, Yomi."

"It's not a good morning in my opinion," I mumbled, voice muffled by the cloth of his shirt and jacket.

"I know, love," he said, running a hand through my hair soothingly. "Everything will be alright."

"Have you seen it?" I asked, glancing up at his eyes.

"No, but I won't be alone on this mission," he replied. "With all of the help I'll have, there won't be any reason for you to even worry about us."

"I still will," I argued. "After last the last mission you went on, I can't help but worry about you." He pulled me closer, squeezing me in a tight hug. I squeezed him back.

"We're just going to see our friends in the Sanctuary. Think of it like that, love," Negative reasoned. I sighed before nodding in submission.

"I guess you're right," I admitted. "I just have to think of it like that." He pulled back a small ways before stroking my cheek with his thumb. I was surprised to feel something warm wiped away. I hadn't even realized I'd lost the tear until that moment.

"Don't be upset," he soothed. "Please don't cry." He bent down, pressing a kiss to my forehead. "I don't like when you cry, Yomi."

"I'm sorry," I said quickly. "I didn't even mean to, but then it just happened and now I've probably go you upset because I'm upset and you need to have a clear mind when you're going on this mission because last time went really bad and I don't want you to get hurt anymore because I really don't think I could handle coming remotely close to losing you again because you just mean so much to-," I was so caught up in my ramble that one, I hadn't even paused for a breath and two, I was completely surprised when Negative bent down and simply kissed me, stopping the montage of feelings that I'd started ranting.

I was surprised by the kiss, but my eyes fell shut and I savored the moment for as long as I could. "I didn't mean for you to get so frustrated and upset about this, Yomi," he said softly.

"No, really, I'll be fine," I managed to say over the blush that was painting my cheek. "Just be careful, please."

"Always, love," Negative promised. I smiled and hugged him again.

"Tell everyone I said hi," I added. "I love you, Negative."

"I love you, too, Yomi," he said. "Now go back to bed and get some sleep." To my surprise, he picked me up and carried me back over to my bed, gently laying me down. He kissed me once more before leaving to meet up with the others that were going on the mission, too. I pulled my blankets up over me, deciding I'd try to take his advice, but ultimately, I couldn't go back to sleep after seeing him leave. If I went to sleep, I was sure I'd have nightmares of the other mission Negative went on; I couldn't handle that, not after watching him leave on his next one.

Yami's Point of View

A few days later, when the boys were due to come home, I waited at the grand entrance of the castle impatiently. Yomi was with me, just as eager to see them return as I was. The minutes grew longer and longer as each one past, and by the time they finally did make it home, I couldn't even stay still.

The doors opened to reveal Yoru, Nightmare, Rath, Justuo, Aki, Prompto, and Negative looking tired, dirty, and a pretty fatigued. It was obvious they had been through a lot; signs of an assault were evident in several bandages and cuts many of them had. The group seemed a closer than they had been before. As soon as my eyes landed on Nightmare, I dashed forward, and I pounced on him, wrapping my arms and legs around his torso completely.

Yomi was only a second behind me, and I saw Negative pick her up, spinning around as he hugged her tightly. Their chorus of reunion was drowned out by my own.

"Nightmare, never leave again," I whispered against his neck.

"Okay," he replied with a hint of humor. He wrapped his arms around me tightly before carrying me all the way to the west wing of the castle and back to our room. He dropped me on the bed where I watched him wipe some dirt and sweat from his forehead.

"Let me shower and change, okay?" Nightmare said.

"Will Ash mind?" I asked. He shook his head no, a tired smile on his face.

"He even told us to tend to our wounds and needs before we were to report to him in the throne room." I nodded and watched him go into the bathroom. I didn't move until he came back with clean skin and damp hair. His ears poked up from the crown of his head.

I cuddled against him once he sat down, pulling him down into a laying position. "I'm glad you're home," I said.

"Me too," he whispered breathing in deeply as if to soak in my scent. "Me too."

Yoru's Point of View

The sight of the castle was a blessing. My feet ached, and my legs were no different. Each round kick I had delivered to our ambushers had done its job, but the bruises they left behind would bother me for days. Still, given all the trouble we went through, I'd say our mission was a success.

Upon first arriving to the Sanctuary settlement, I was greeted by many hugs and calls of welcome. My companions, however, we not so easily welcomed. They knew Nightmare and Negative well, probably better than they knew me after all the time they'd spent here before moving back to the Paranormal World. Justuo, Aki, and Prompto were the ones that had so many doubting them. They remembered them as Mpopyya's protectors, the ones that had accompanied us last time. It was probably a good thing they had come with us the last time we went to the Sanctuary.

The proposal that we brought from Ash was immediately given to Sempu, who was usually considered the one in charge around the settlement they lived at. She had read it, and without voicing her own opinions to us, called a meeting to all of my friends that lived there. They then read it several more times and considered the pros and cons, though in my opinion there weren't many cons. Halfway through the meeting is when we were ambushed.

No one really expected it; even Negative was surprised. We had taken up arms against the small infantry, fighting alongside those that we practically already considered allies to save their only home. In the end, we did prevail, but several battle wounds and lots of destroyed property was left behind in the wake of the fight.

Ultimately, I know that the ambush was what caused Sempu to agree so quickly, though I never doubted her to agree in the first place. They'd help Ash with information as long as he helped supply them the materials and other necessities they needed. Thanks to the sudden ambush, however, it was likely Elliot knew where they were staying.

Negative convinced them to move the settlement to a safer place, or a place less conspicuous than where they had been anyway. Everyone agreed to this, too, and it was decided then that we would help them with the move. This was the main reason it took so long in the Sanctuary on our mission. Ash would understand the reasoning, I was sure of it.

"Yoru!" I heard from ahead. I blinked, returning to the present. Kairi was running my way, and Kiyo was on her trail almost immediately. They stopped in front of me, clambering me with hugs that ached due to my wounds, but they still felt nice.

"You made it back okay, thank goodness," Kiyo said smiling.

"Yeah," I chuckled. "You shouldn't have worried about me, guys. Come on, let's get inside. I need a shower so bad."

We laughed at that before starting inside. "What happened out there, Yoru? Is everyone okay?"

"Yes, we're all fine," I replied. I proceeded to tell them what had happened, leaving out the major details including how some of us had taken some hard hits. They didn't need to worry any more than they already were.

The meeting was brief, but everyone showed up for it anyway. My comrades relayed the events to Ash in detail while I watched with thoughtful eyes. My mind wandered back to Edge, whose bandages were lessening with each passing day. He could sit up on his own now, and he finally found the will to eat. He would be removed from the back room of the infirmary soon and would be placed in the open infirmary.

"I want to be a part of the raid," Kairi said, pulling me from my thoughts. "If Yoru will be going, I believe it would be wise for her Guardian to go, too." It had been decided earlier that I'd be joining the ambush thanks to my proven skills shown when we were attacked on our mission. That, and I had a lot of experience in the Sanctuary.

"I don't know if you're ready yet," Ash replied, cautious to stay neutral. Kairi opened her mouth, as if to argue, but she closed, thinking her next comment over. I could sense she was thinking hard to find a solution, trying to find any reason to tag along. I had a feeling it was because Lightning would more than likely be present during the ambush.

"It's not technically a battle. If I stayed with the Avalanche members, it could be like my first mission," Kairi offered. "Besides, Yoru will have my back, too."

"If you go, you know the rest of Mpopyya will want to go," Raj said bluntly. Kiyo glared at him, but he didn't seem to care. Or maybe he was too ashamed to look in her direction. At least the black eye, bruised cheek, and swollen jaw decorating his face seemed to please Kairi; it pleased me, too.

"I think we are at liberty to speak for ourselves, thank you," I said coldly. "If Kairi will be with at least one Avalanche member at all times, I feel confident that she will be fine." Hopefully, my submission to the idea would lead the other members of Mpopyya to do the same; however, it seemed Kiyo was already displeased with the direction this was going.

Kairi turned a pleading gaze of Kiyo, hoping she would also agree with me. Yomi groaned before speaking up. "I _guess_ if Avalanche can be one-hundred percent sure that they won't let anything happen to her…" She didn't finish her sentence, but I knew the rest. She wouldn't demand to go as long as Kairi was surely safe.

"She's our Guardian," Mizu began, taking her turn in the matter. "If Yoru is going, I guess she's obligated to go. I think she can handle her own, especially with Avalanche backing her up. It just sucks we won't be able to have any fun."

"I don't want to go into battle anyway," Yami said, raising her free hand that wasn't interlaced with Nightmare's. "But you better be careful, Kairi." Her voice was stern when she said the last bit. Kiyo remained silent for a while. I could tell she was struggling to decide whether she could trust Avalanche with our Guardian's life, and if she would really be okay staying behind.

"Fine," Kiyo huffed. "But you better take care of her." That was directed at Justuo. She crossed her arms, face showing irritation. "But want to see everything that happens using the Fountain of Dreams."

"A fair trade," Ash commented.

Kairi beamed brightly, turning her gaze to Ash. "See? Mpopyya didn't make a fuss."

"What a surprise," Raj muttered under her breath. I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"I'd be more than willing to use this little expedition as a learning experience for Kairi," Justuo said. "It can be a good way to ease her into the future battles that are to come."

"Very well," Ash sighed after a few more moments of thought. "If you can take care of a whole group on a weeklong trip, I don't see why you can't take care of a Guardian-in-training for a single ambush."

"Yeah, we are pretty well versed in the way of battle and protection," Justuo said sounding slightly offended that Ash had put it that way, but he didn't make it as obvious as he usually did when Ash irritated him.

"I trust you with the task of preparing her and Yoru until we've heard from our allies in the Sanctuary then." Ash sounded weary, but his tone was laden with happiness, too. He had gained a valuable ally today. It was only a matter of time before Elliot would crumble.

Kairi's Point of View

Training was rigorous the following days. I wasn't even trained with my normal group of trainees. Justuo and several members of Avalanche had taken it upon themselves to pull me and Yoru out of the normal, everyday training and put us through battle training. There was quite a big difference, that's for sure. More warm ups, more running, different sword drills as well as different scythe drills. We also practiced magic duration, seeing how long I could use my magic until I was absolutely dry of all magical energy and seeing how far Yoru could go before she felt the urge to enter her Demon form. Afterwards, Justuo would make us run laps until we couldn't even take another step. Even then, he and Aki would only run behind us, pushing us forward until we were close to passing out.

It sounds drastic, but honestly I didn't mind. It'd only make me stronger, right? I knew everything he and the rest of Avalanche were doing was for my benefit, and they were pushing me as hard as I could go because in battle, that's exactly how it would be. There were no breaks, no mistakes without the price of your life, and there was certainly no mercy. Everyone that I passed out there would try to kill me unless they were wearing blue and silver. Kill or be killed.

I didn't have time for anything else. I didn't get the chance to worry and fret over Lightning and our break up. I didn't even have time to stay with the other members of Mpopyya. I was so tired by the end of the day that I merely collapsed in my bed after a warm shower.

Week two of my Battle Training had just ended when we got word from the Sanctuary rebels. I was peacefully sleeping, finally getting the rest I needed after so much exhaustion, when my door swung up, hitting the wall behind it with a thud. I winced at the noise. "Kairi, we have a meeting this morning."

"Why?" I whined, not recognizing it was Mizu's voice until she spoke again.

"Ash just called it. Said it was really important," she explained. I forced myself up. My muscles groaned in response to the movement. "I figured you'd want to be there."

"Yeah, I do," I sighed, pushing myself to the edge of the bed. My feet hit the floor, and I padded over to my massive closet, deciding immediately after my eyes saw dresses and tight jeans that I was going for sweat pants and a tank top this morning. Lancer greeted me with a smile when I walked out of the bathroom.

"Are you ready?" he asked. I nodded, but really, I wasn't so sure that I was. He took my hand, giving it a warm squeeze before we left the room, heading to the meeting and the news that waited for us.

I wasn't expecting the surprise that was sitting at the table next to Ash. Her white hair fell at her hips, her posture stern and stiff with her legs and arms crossed as she leaned back in the chair. "So good to see again, Kairi," Sempu said when I entered the room. My eyes widened in surprise as I took in the room. Beside Sempu, Rufus sat with his hands on his table, fingers intertwining his hands. Yoru was next to him, looking happier than she had been in the past few weeks. Edge, who had finally gotten out of bed rest, was sitting close to her, then Yomi, Negative, Nightmare, and Yami. The other Inner Circle members wrapped around the table, as well, finally making it back to Fear, Kiyo, and finally Ash, who were on the other side of Sempu. Mixed among them, Justuo and his friends watched as well.

"Sempu!" I exclaimed. "And Rufus! You're here, in the Paranormal World!"

"We are," she confirmed, a small smile playing on her lips. "And we've brought news for Lord Ash."

"Kairi, take a seat," Ash said, motioning to Lancer and me. I pointed at Lancer, unsure whether he was allowed to stay or not. "He's fine." I beamed happily, pulling Lancer to my seat. To my great disappointment, I realized there was only one free seat. Sensing my distress, he slipped onto the chair before me, pulling me onto his lap before I had the chance to voice the problem. I blushed, surprised by his solution, but I didn't refuse.

"What have you found out, Sempu?" Rath asked.

"There has been noticeable movement west of our settlement," she began. "It's widely known that Elliot has a base near us, and several of us often times scope it out in order to keep tabs on them." I swallowed hard, feeling worried about the following news. "Recently, Tlxel and Tsu were out near the border and happened to hear some information that may prove useful to our cause." Rufus picked up from there.

"They were talking about attacking a town in the Paranormal World in an exactly a month. There was also an order to search for 'the queen, the traitors, and the other girls.' Naturally, we knew they were referring to Kiyo and the other members of Mpopyya, but we weren't sure who they were talking about when they mentioned traitors," Rufus said thoughtfully.

"If I had to guess, I'd say they were talking about Edge," Tai pointed out.

"He said traitor_s_," Yoru said. I looked to her, and he face wasn't the genuine smile it was before the meeting began. Instead, she wore a bitter smile. "It's more than like I'm the other traitor they're referring to."

I felt my face drain of color. "What?" I asked.

"Remember Kairi? I used to go to the Sanctuary every day, before we had even learned about the war between the two worlds. I used to do everything for the greater good of the Sanctuary. And after my memories were erased, Elliot had practically corrupted me with his lies and deceit. He's always wanted me as an ally, and he nearly had me. If you and Kiyo hadn't stepped in to stop them from controlling me, I'd probably still be there with him." Yoru let a breath turn into a sigh before she met my gaze. "He's probably told his armies I was a loyal soldier turned bad."

"He's such a twerp," Yomi grumbled under her breath.

"I will kill him if he thinks he's getting his filthy paws on you again," I growled in an unreasonable show of my anger.

"Find peace, Kairi," Fayt muttered just as Lancer gave my hand another one of his warm squeezes. I pushed all the emotions welling up at the reminder of Elliot's distorted ways from me.

"It's okay, Kairi," Yoru said, letting a smirk form on her lips. "We'll have our revenge."

"In time," Sempu said, eyes cutting to Yoru's sharply. "The two of you cannot run into battle, guns blazing and actually think to accomplish something."

"Yes, ma'am," we said in unison.

"Yes, because if that's the case, I will not be letting the two of you participate," Ash added, just as serious as Sempu. "We can't afford to lose two of our best, one of them a Guardian at that." I smiled at that.

"We understand," I said. "No funny business."

"None at all," Yoru agreed genuinely.

"Good," Ash commented. "Continue with what you were saying, Rufus."

He cleared his throat before continuing. "Tlxel and Tsu also heard them talking about moving two-hundred or so troops to the closest of Elliot's settlement; it's located in Wayard Steppe," Rufus finished.

"That's only ten miles from where you guys are!" Yoru exclaimed. "You're that close to his settlements?!" Even Ashe seemed surprised and displeased with the idea of them being so close to one of Elliot's army settlements.

"We didn't know until Tlxel and Tsu over heard the two soldiers and the general talking," Sempu explained. "It's more than likely that we will have to resettle somewhere safer in the near future, but until we must, everyone has to recover from the last fight. We will be sure to keep on our toes, though."

"Please do," Ash agreed. "We cannot allow harm to befall our allies of the Sanctuary."

"Thank you for your concern, Lord Ash," Sempu said with a nod.

"Do you know when the troops will be moving towards the Wayward Steppe?" Skye asked arms crossed.

"We do indeed," Rufus replied. "Monday morning is when they will move. By the evening, they should be in Wayward Steppe." A surge of emotion came through the bond I shared with Kiyo. I blinked in surprise before glancing her way. She crossed her arms, meaning she suddenly feeling defensive.

"We'll have to meet them halfway there, then," Fear said with a nod. "We will take care of their little army and show them it's not okay to mess with the Paranormal World."

"Is Kairi really ready for something like this? Monday is only a few days away," Kiyo said, voice tight. There was a long silence in which I shifted uncomfortably. No one spoke, so I took the liberty of expressing my opinion.

"I think the past two weeks have readied me for this," I began. "I mean, practice makes perfect, but we're out of time now, Kiyo."

"Or you could just not go," Kiyo responded. My stomach twisted at the thought.

"No, I have to. Yoru is going to be there, and it's my responsibility as her Guardian to be there in case she needs me."

"She'd probably be the one saving you!" she snapped. A flush of frustration ran through me, and I had to grind my teeth not to say something mean.

"Thanks for the faith, Kiyo," I retorted bitterly. "Makes me feel great that my own protectants believe in me."

"Kairi you can't even stand up against Elliot's lower people! Why are you trying to go against all those soldiers?! You're going to get hurt!" Kiyo yelled, face flushing in anger. It was like a slap to my face; actually, I would have preferred a slap to the face over the emotional flood that her words caused me.

"Kiyo, that was kind of harsh," Yomi muttered under her breath. I didn't realize my mouth had fallen open until then. I forced it closed, feeling the burn of tears behind my eyes.

"Then maybe it _would_ be better to have Raj as a guardian than me." I stood, dropping Lancer's hand and storming towards the door. I didn't hesitate to slam it behind me, and honestly, I couldn't care less what they said once I was gone, whether I was banned from the mission or whether I was still going.

Thankfully, no one followed me. Or so I thought.

Only several minutes passed after I'd made it to my bedroom before Lancer came in. He didn't say anything, and for that, I thanked him. Instead, he hugged me tightly, and I buried my face in his shoulder. Only then did I let the tears falls.

Kiyo's Point of View

The words Kairi said were just as mean as mine, but immediately, I felt bad. Kairi's face contorted with hurt before she stormed out the door. "Hmm, my point proven, in my opinion," Raj said thoughtfully. I turned a glare on him, but he quickly avoided my gaze.

"You are such a little butt," Yomi snapped at him. "Like seriously, who are you? You are not even significant to this meeting. You keep putting people down and making everyone feel like crap." Lancer stood, then, following after Kairi. I gave a grumble of frustration knowing Ash wasn't going to sway his decision on Kairi going.

Raj opened his mouth to reply to Yomi, but Ash held a hand up to silence everyone. "The mission will proceed as planned, but this meeting will have to continue this evening, after everything has…calmed down." I gave a frustrated sigh, crossing my arms over my chest. "I'm sorry for this inconvenience, Sempu, Rufus."

"It's no problem at all," Sempu assured him. "The journey has been a long one, and maybe it would be best to unwind."

I remembered how early it was, then, and suddenly, I really wanted to blame frustration and anger on my usual grumpy mood in the mornings. I knew that wasn't it, though. It was that ever present Darkness that kept growing bigger inside me. I wanted to cry at admitting it, but I wouldn't, especially in front of everyone.

I didn't hear Ash telling the servants to help make Sempu and Rufus comfortable during their stay, and I didn't hear everyone saying their farewells. It wasn't I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder that I finally looked up into the kind, blue eyes that were Ash's. I didn't say anything in acknowledgement. "What's bothering you, love? Is it Kairi's safety?"

"It was," I sighed, taking his hand in mine and rubbing small circles in his open palm with my thumbs. "I believe I'll go for a walk." He seemed perplexed by the sudden change of subject, but really, the subject hadn't changed much.

"Of course. Are you alright, Kiyo?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I replied. "Anyway, I'm going to take a walk in the Gardens."

"Okay, dear." He cupped my chin, delivering a sweet kiss before brushing several strands of hair from my eyes. "Be careful," he warned.

"It's just a walk in the Gardens, love. No one will be able to penetrate our walls." I looked at him like it were an obvious fact. He smiled.

"You're right," Ash agreed. "Enjoy your walk, Kiyo."

"I will," I said, standing. I didn't waste any time. I went to Clover's room, knocking twice before I got an answer.

"Yes?" her voice rang out only a second before her door popped open. "Oh, your highness."

"Can you meet me in the Gardens in an hour, please?" I whispered, glancing behind me to make sure no one was in the hall, listening in on our conversation. "And please don't say anything to anyone about it."

"Of course," she replied wholeheartedly. "Is something wrong?"

"I just need to talk to you." My voice was firm on the outside, but shame was welling up in me as the full impact of my words with Kairi hit me.

I was pacing back and forth in one of the garden sections when Clover finally showed up. I needed to talk to her about Light. I could feel the Darkness in me growing and I wanted it gone. I wanted to harness Light and become a Light Phoenix. I was just about to give up and leave when I saw her emerge from one of the pathways.

"Your majesty," Clover said, bowing lightly. She was dressed in a light aqua green gown with gold accents sewn into it. Her red curls were pushed onto one shoulder. Clover always appeared to have a golden glow about her. That was probably the Light, I thought.

"First things first, please stop bowing to me. It still makes me uncomfortable. Second, thank you for meeting me here," I said as I continued to pace. "I don't really know where to start," I sighed. I ran a hand through my hair, frustrated. Clover gracefully sat on the ground as she placed her hands in her lap.

"What's on your mind, Kiyo? Your transformation?" she asked kindly. I nodded.

"Are you worried you will become a Dark Phoenix?" she continued. Hearing my worst fear said out loud brought me up short which caused me to trip over my stupid dress. Ever since I had started taking proper etiquette classes wearing long gowns had almost become a part of my everyday wardrobe; that or some form of suit. The Paranormal World may be caught up technology wise, but they were still not quite used to seeing their queen in jeans unfortunately. The gown I had on today was a burnt red color.

"I hate this stupid dress," I cried out as I plopped rather ungracefully to the ground. Clover tried to hide her smile.

"Your majesty, that dress is quite beautiful and your fears of your transformation are perfectly normal. Even as a witch, I know this. Before the dark times, I knew many phoenixes and even the kindest and most honorable, like you, were worried about their Fate of Light or dark," she said while touching my arm. That made me feel better, but my situation was different than a lot of other Phoenixes. I bit my lip.

"But the whole world's fate wasn't depending on them," I muttered. Clover smiled gently. "The Fates do not give us things we cannot handle, Kiyo. You are strong enough to do this. You were chosen for this Fate because they know you can do it. There is no one else who could do what you have to do or be what you are. Just like no one else could handle being the queen's guardian as well as Kairi does or how the world knows Trace and Justuo will figure out how to handle being dark angels," she said sincerely, a knowing smile on her face. "I have faith in you." Her words made me feel warm. Clover believed I could save the world. She believed I was stronger than the Darkness or Raven and all the obstacles in my path.

"The choice of Light or dark is up to you. Yes, to give into the Darkness is easier. When, you are in the mist of your transformation, you will be in an unbearable amount of pain and the Darkness does grant relief and more power quicker, so the Darkness does have its appeal in the moment. The Light is harder to reach, but in this world, we have to fight for what's right and good. Either way you choose, Kiyo, you will be the most powerful phoenix, maybe even creature, to grace the worlds. It is up to you which side you stand on," Clover said. I closed my eyes. I knew which side I wanted to be on already. I wanted to be Light, to choose Light. The question was whether I was strong enough to fight off my own Darkness. Clover's face became worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked her.

"Kiyo, there is something you should know, the Darkness does have more reign and control in you than other phoenixes because you have been exposed to so much of it. Being so close to Justuo has to do with some of it. And Trace's indirect access through Kairi to you doesn't help. But you also have been attacked with Darkness too many times," Clover's eyes went dark for just a moment before she continued. "You have experienced and dealt with much more Darkness than most young pre-transformation Phoenixes. However, your past and all the tragedies that have happened in your life and past lives have also increased the Darkness in you. No one pretends that you haven't had a rough time. Also, you and MPOPYYA as well, have gone through and experienced so much moew, not all of it good, than most people will their whole lives. That is also a contributing factor, but like I said before, the choice is really up to you." I took a deep breath. I already knew most of this, but Clover had confirmed it. I knew I had more Darkness in me than usual. Leah is full of Light, seeming without any Darkness to corrupt her at all. I was, once again, the odd man out. I knew I would choose Light without question, but would my Darkness give me a chance?

"I can see you are struggling within yourself," Clover whispered .She suddenly grabbed my hands. I felt a tingly warm feeling coursing through both of us, especially at our touch. It felt nice like sunshine. "Do you feel that? That is Light. The Light within me is recognizing the Light within you. I can feel how strong your Light is," she said urgently, her eyes sparkling. "Kiyo, your Light is already unbelievably strong, even for a Phoenix. You can heal better than some fully transformed Light Phoenixes, like Daisy. Your mental strength and powers are practically unheard of. Some of the things you can do with your mind have never been done before. And you can wield some of the other elements better than people who have specialized in that element. You must believe in your strength and power," she finished. I was awestruck. Why had no one told me these things before?

"You can tell all this just by touching my hands?" I asked. Clover laughed and shook her head.

"Kiyo, you are the kindest, most selfless, brave, and beautiful young girl I have ever met. The Light has already chosen you. It is up to you to choose it too," she said.

_Light has chosen me?_ I couldn't believe it. Light thought I was worthy of it even with all the bad decisions and wrong things I had done. Of course Ash and MPOPYYA thought I was crazy for thinking of myself as a bad person, but it was the way I had always seen myself. Clover had helped me more than she knew. I could still feel the Darkness inside me, but I knew now that I had the strength to fight it. I felt my stomach twist though. I remembered another factor in the transformation. There was one more thing I needed to know.

"What if I die instead?" I whispered. Clover bit her lip and looked away. I could tell this was the one question she was hoping I didn't ask. She seemed hesitant to answer. "Clover, please tell me," I urged her.

"I think Lord Ash should be the one to answer that. He knows just as much as I. He has done his research. He wanted to know every possible outcome and every way he could help you. He has spent countless lives, the ones you weren't present in, researching," she said. I nodded. I could tell Clover didn't want to talk about that. My chances must be bad then. I tried to hide my fear with a smile.

"Thank you for helping me to understand, Clover. I really appreciate it," I said as I rose. She hugged me.

"Anytime your majesty," she replied while smiling. I started to leave the clearing and head back to the castle. "Kiyo, just remember, not all Darkness is bad. Justuo tries to use his Darkness for good like protecting you. Yes, generally speaking, Darkness does equate to evil, especially in Phoenixes, but it's how you use your power that determines if you are evil or good," she called.

She was right. My actions and how I used my powers would determine what kind of person I would be. Not some stupid transformation.

I was facing Avalanche's room door at the castle. I had been standing there for about ten minutes debating on knocking. I wanted to talk to Justuo about the raid. I wanted him to know how important it was for him to keep Kairi safe. I was nervous though. We had not been spending a lot of time together since our almost kiss in the Feywood. I shook out my hands. _Get a hold of yourself, Kiyo_, I thought. _It's just Justuo._

I had just reached my hand up to knock on the door when it opened. Aki stood before me a smirk plastered on his face. "Ah, her majesty, to what do I owe the pleasure of seeing your beautiful face?" he flirted, his thick Asian accent coating his words. I caught a glimpse of Justuo in the background. He met my eyes with a crooked grin that still melted my heart.

Aki leaned against the door jam, blocking my view of Justuo.

"Actually, I'm here to see Justuo," I corrected Aki jokingly. I tried to move past him, but he blocked my way again. I sighed. Aki loved to play games. He was definitely mischievous enough to live up to the Feavii name.

"Are you now? Am I not good enough for you?" He clutched his heart playfully, offended. I rolled my eyes.

"Aki, move please. Before I shoot pain throughout your head," I said. I heard Justuo laugh. Aki grinned.

"Hmm...I'll let you in...if you kiss me. I mean I am going off on a deadly mission where I could be killed. The least you could do is give me a farewell kiss," he teased.

Justuo appeared behind him and playfully shoved him out of the way.

"Get out of here, man," he laughed. Aki smiled, wriggled his eyebrows at him, and started walking down the hallway. I turned to face Justuo. He was wearing jeans and my favorite gray shirt of his.

"Come on in, Kiyo" he chuckled. I followed him in, and he shut the door behind us. I glanced around the room. There was supplies for the raid spread throughout the room, weapons of various sort, including Rebel Heart, Justuo's own sword. I followed him to his part of the room. He sat on a hammock that was strung from the walls. He motioned to the spot next to him, and I gave him a critical look. He resisted the urge to smile. I sat on the bed next to the hammock instead, refusing to even take the chance of falling off of it.

"What did do you want to talk about?" Justuo asked. I took a deep breathe.

"I just wanted you to promise that you would take care of Kairi. I know she is tough, but she thinks she's tougher than she actually is. This is a dangerous situation for her to be in, and I just want to make sure you will take care of her," I said.

"Of course, I will protect her, Kiyo. She's important to me too, you know?" he said, smiling slightly. I nodded.

"I know, but I just wanted to make sure. I also want you to be safe, too. You think you are invincible, but you're not, and I want you to come back safe," I said. He frowned ever so slightly before standing and taking a seat next to me on the bed. He scooted closer until our knees touched.

"You know you are going to have to trust her to take care of herself one day, right? You need to worry about yourself, but I promise to take care of her and come back to you safe," he said gently. I looked away from him. My eyes landed on a picture on his nightstand. It was a picture of me from before. He saw me looking at it, plucked it up, and slid it into his pocket quickly. I felt my heart throb.

"I'm glad you came to talk to me. I miss you and hanging out with you," he said. His words made my stomach fill with butterflies.

"Me too. I have just been so busy with queen stuff lately," I said lamely. It was partly true, but I had been kind of avoiding him because he stirred up so many emotions in me.

"I see your face has healed nicely," he said while stroking my cheek with his thumb.

"Oh, I never got to thank you for stepping in to defend me like you did. Thank you, Justuo," I said sincerely looking into his eyes. I saw a look of anger cross his face at the memory of Raj, but it was gone as soon as it came.

"I will always defend you, Kiyo," he whispered. I could feel how close he was to me. I felt my lips trembling.

"Why are your lips trembling?" he whispered. I was just about to say something I shouldn't when Kairi burst through the door. She stopped when she saw us. A blush rose to her cheeks, and I noted a twinge of irritation and hurt buried deep in the embarrassment that flooded through our connection.

"Should I go?" she asked. I quickly stood.

"No, we were just talking. About you, actually. I have to go see Ash now." I turned back to Justuo. "Thank you again," I said. "And Kairi, I'm really sorry for what I said earlier. I didn't mean any of it."

"I know, Kiyo," she sighed. "I didn't mean to be a jerk, either. Besides, I've practically forgotten about it now, anyway." I smiled, crossing the room to stop at her side and give her a hug. She hugged me back tightly and beamed when we pulled away.

"I'll see you guys later," I said, avoiding Justuo's gaze.

"Wait, do you want to stay and hang out with Kairi and I? It could just be like old times. Besides, isn't Ash in a meeting all day with Sempu and Rufus?" he questioned. I bit my lip. I had forgotten about Ash's meeting. I felt my stomach drop because I wouldn't be able to see him at all today.

"Please hang with us, Kiyo!" Kairi pleaded. I smiled. It would be nice to just hang out with Justuo like old times. Our friendship had gotten lost between our romance and our crazy new lives.

"Sure," I agreed smiling again. I sat back down on the bed next to Justuo and Kairi joined us, informing us of something interesting she'd overheard Mizu and Yomi talking about earlier.

**Hello everyone! I know you were expecting this chapter forever ago, but final exams ****and Final Fantasy XIV**** decided to take over my life for the past three weeks. Sorry guys! That, and I kept changing my mind on how to proceed with the mission. Hopefully, this is the best way to go about it. But alas, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Tell me what you think! Ideas are always acceptable! The next one has a few tweaks in it, so I will be working them out, but other than that, it's pretty much already written. I want to thank Kiyo for writing two sections of this chapter, and I want to thank Yami for writing the NiAmi piece with the mission. Thanks for the dedication and patience, everyone!**

**~Kairi Fatewin**

18


	65. It's Time

_**Chapter Sixty-Four: It's Time**_

Kairi's Point of View

The first outfit I'd ever worn in the Sanctuary lay on my bed. I wasn't even sure if it'd still fit after almost an entire year of being here and growing so much. A similar outfit lay beside it. The similar outfit was pretty, based around the color of my hair and lighter variations like white and lighter pinks. It was a skirt and tank top, so I was beginning to doubt if I should wear something like this on a mission.

"You should," Lancer said suddenly. I glanced over at him. His attire surprised me, having changed from his usual servant-like clothes that were loose and messy to tighter fitting fabrics that provided quicker movements and a bigger flexibility range. Ash had agreed to let him accompany me, just as back up for in case Avalanche got distracted.

"You look nice," I said. My throat was dry. My tongue felt like sand paper.

"So will you," he said, moving forward to my side. He was a few inches taller than usual due to his combat boots. It made my forehead reach his neck, making me feel smaller than ever. "The fibers are elementally durable – they won't catch fire," he explained as he motioned to the skirt and top. A pair of leggings that were cream colored also went with the outfit.

"Then I guess I'll wear it," I replied.

"Good," he said. "I think it matches you very well." I waited a few seconds before I let myself move closer to my servant. He hugged me gently.

"Lancer, he will be there. I just know he will be," I stated. He knew I was talking about Lightning.

"You'll have to face him, Kairi," he said. "I'll be there with you. You aren't alone." The sound of my name coming from his mouth almost made me cry.

"Promise?" I said, gripping his shirt. I looked up to meet his eyes.

"Yes, I will be there. You're my lady, after all. I won't fail you," Lancer said. That dutiful part of Lancer came out, and I smiled.

"Alright," I said pulling back. "I believe you."

"Go get dressed; I'll meet you in the throne room," Lancer said. He left the room. I sighed heavily, remembering Lightning the last time I saw him. His hair was tousled. Those blue eyes were tainted red, under them, dark circles contrasted against his pale skin. His fangs had shown when he spoke to me. His tone was harsh and bitter.

_Stay away from me, or I'll hurt you, Kairi,_ his voice echoed in my memory.

_Why?_ my voice, frail and quiet, whispered in a desperate reply. It hadn't been him that answered my plea. Trace had spoken, taking back control of his body.

_He's Elliot's pawn now. There's nothing I can do._ He had spoken it aloud, but it was still just an echo of memory in my mind.

"Trace, please don't let him hurt anyone. He'd regret it," I whispered to myself. I wasn't expecting an answer.

_There's only so much I can do without being killed, Kairi,_ Trace thought bitterly. A glimpse in his mind's eye told me he was preparing for a mission, and I could only assume he was going to be at the ambush sight, but the image spared most details.

_What're you getting dressed up for?_ I asked.

_Let's not play dumb now, Kairi,_ Trace chuckled. _I think we both know that you're readying for the same mission I am._ I didn't say anything, and suddenly, I felt really insignificant.

_I don't know what you're talking about_, I finally denied.

Trace laughed. _You know, I'm not the only one that's going to be there today._

_Lightning's going to be there, too?!_ My alarm nearly caused me to say it aloud instead of in my mind.

_Hmm…Maybe, maybe not._ There was a long pause before Trace spoke again, one in which my heart hammered against my rib cage. _You know, if we weren't pals, I wouldn't have said anything_, Trace said slyly. _It's a good thing you're Kiyo's Guardian or I wouldn't treat you so nicely._

_You call that nice?_ I replied, but if I had spoken it, my voice would've trembled.

_That's the nicest I've been to an enemy in a long time, actually. _His snide reminder that we weren't on the same team sent a chill down my spine.

_You're going to tell him, aren't you?_ I asked, a sinking feeling of doom settling in my stomach. Great, I'd gone and blown our mission to hell. My first mission that I was actually ready for.

_You shouldn't presume to know things all the time, kid_, Trace snickered. _It won't get you very far in the other worlds._ I swallowed back the hope that swelled in my throat and changed the subject as quickly as I could.

_ Why is Elliot doing this to him?_ I whispered, closing my eyes. I clenched the cloth in my hands so tightly my knuckles probably turned white before continuing to my bathroom. _If anyone should be punished, it should be me._

Trace let out a harsh laugh. _Child, you really think you're off the hook? Elliot is not a forgiving person, and he will expect you to pay his price._ I felt my heart clench, and again, I found myself freezing in place. At least I had made it to the bathroom.

"You say that like he knows I'm alive," I barely breathed, aloud this time. "But you supposedly killed me before his eyes." Trace didn't say a word, and I felt his frustration at himself flowing through our bond.

_Yeah, about that_, he sighed, but I felt a forced smile turned his lips up. _I may or may not have slipped to Elliot that you're alive_.

"What?" I demanded.

_But it's no big deal, I mean, it's not like he's going to be there himself. Elliot doesn't want to sully his hands on such a trivial deal._

"Trace, you can't be serious?" I snapped. "He's sending you, and I can bet that if you were to ever cross paths with me again and not kill me, Elliot would kill you in a heartbeat. You're supposed to be his ever loyal servant, remember?"

_Supposed to be? You're kidding, right? I still am his loyal servant. A brat like you means nothing to me, but you're valuable to Kiyo's safety, so it's in my best interest to look out for you. Don't get too comfortable, Guardian._

_I'll be sure to keep that in mind_, I replied wryly.

_Yeah, might be wise of you to_.

I didn't bother replying. Instead, I dressed myself. By the time I was done, my hair was in two buns, my long pieces of loose hair swayed freely at my hips. My I'd chosen a pair of sturdy boots that would hopefully keep my feet protected. I exited the bathroom, and Kuroyasha rose, leaping into me. I took a deep breath as her presence settled. "May luck be with me," I whispered as I left the room.

Luck. Was there such a thing? I did not know for sure. But something kept me coming back. Something kept me alive. Lightning had saved me. Kiyo and Leah had healed me. Trace had saved me. Even Kiyomi had saved me. Avalanche had, too.

What for? Would I ever know for sure? I wasn't sure of that, either.

Mizu's Point of View

My feet swished in the water as I kicked back and forth. I had sent Jack to get Skye. I needed him. I needed peace of mind. When Skye and Jack did return, I leaped up, almost slipping into the water that surrounded the island that held my bed. I called it he Island of Bed, but Skye preferred the Bed Island.

"What's wrong, _Mea Amor_?" Skye asked with concern. I walked into his arms immediately.

"I'm scared," I said against his chest.

"Why, Mizu?" he softly asked. "You know nothing bad will happen to you; I promise."

"I'm not worried about _me_, Skye, I'm worried about _you_!" I groaned loudly, wishing I could stop being so weak. If I were stronger, I could be going along with him and Kairi on this mission, but I was still too weak to do anything. I didn't like feeling helpless like this.

"Love," Skye chuckled, "there's no reason to worry about me. I'll be fine. Rath, Nightmare, Negative, and Night Rider will have my back." I opened my mouth to protest, but he spoke up first. "And we'll have Kairi's back." It's like he had read my mind. I smiled a little.

I squeezed his shirt tightly in my hand. "No," I said firmly. "Avalanche will have Kairi's back. You need to be careful. Worry about yourself and don't even think of me. It might distract you." I pulled back some to look him in the eyes. "Don't."

"That's like asking me not to breathe, Mizu," he said with just as much seriousness as I had. I frowned. "Do you know how hard it is to put you out of my mind when we're here, at the castle? And you want me to forget about you in the heat of battle? Love, are you insane?" I couldn't help but laugh, even though Skye was being completely serious. Was I stupid? "Mizu," he sighed in exasperation.

"I'm sorry, but it's ridiculous," I said, trying to calm down. My giddiness fizzled up suddenly, and I felt seriousness that wasn't my own. My smile faded. "Thanks," I said, realizing he had perished my emotions. "I was laughing because I realized how right you are."

Skye seemed relieved by this. "You see? I'll be fine, but you'll be on my mind the whole time."

"Fine, but keep your concentration on the battle," I said. He didn't argue with me.

Instead, he asked, "Is that what you're wearing today?" He motioned to the shorts that stopped midway down my thighs and the blue, ruffled tank top that reminded me of waves.

"Yeah," I said with a dorky smile. "You like it?" I gave him a nudge with my hip.

Skye gave me a flirty smile before putting an arm around me. "You tempt me, Mizuki, so much, love," he whispered.

"I know," I said mischievously. "But you love me for it."

Kiyo's Point of View

Time ticked by very slowly. I was dressed in something comfortable knowing I'd be sitting by the Fountain of Dreams all day. The outfit consisted of dark pants that were soft and stretchy and a shirt with short sleeves made of the same material. My hair was pulling into a messy ponytail because honestly, I didn't feel like being a queen today. I felt like being Kairi's best friend that was worried sick about her.

"Love, it's almost time," Ash's voice said, startling me from my thoughts. I glanced up to see him standing in the doorway. I smiled at him weakly.

"I'm ready. I just wish I could help out," I said solemnly. "I haven't been there for who knows how many years. I can't continue to fail them."

Ash took my hands and pulled me up from our bed. "You haven't failed them. The Fates are the ones to blame, if anyone should be blamed." I disagreed with him but said nothing. I hugged him close.

"Let's go."

"Yes, well, Justuo is waiting. He wanted to speak with you." Ash's voice was still soft, but his tone was clipped. "Alone." He was a little more rigid than a few moments before pulling back to look him in the eyes.

"I'm sorry, Ash," I whispered. "I know he gets to you, but his intentions are good."

"I know, love. I'll see you soon." Ash kissed my forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too," I replied warmly. I was about to follow him after the door closed, but it opened again to reveal Justuo in loose fitting Feavii garments.

"Hey, I was just about to come and meet you," I said a little bit bewildered that Ash had actually told him it was okay to come into our room. Ash was peculiar about his room. Even the servants steered clear of it until it was absolutely necessary.

"Hey," he said. He crossed the room to get a better look at me. "You look great." His eyes continued to study me for several lingering moments before meeting mine.

"Thanks," I said, turning away to hide the barely there blush and pretending to critique a few loose strands of my pulled up, dark hair. "So do you," I added. I knew he had smiled as he spoke again.

"I thought it might help if I brought you a little something," Justuo began. I turned to face him, offering a smile that I hoped was friendly.

"Okay, what did you bring?"

"Here." He pulled a bow from his shoulder, and he held it out to me. I gazed at it in awe for a few seconds before taking the dark, smooth wood in my hands. "It isn't from Feywood, but it is Elven made. It's durable, really sturdy; then again, I had to make sure it would be. Look who I'm giving it to." His tease made the smile on my face grow.

"It's beautiful," I said. Justuo, Fayt, and Serein had been teaching a lot of Mpopyya how to use a bow recently, and the only successors had been Kairi, Yami, and me. Kairi got a bow while we were on our adventure in Feywood, but I'd never had one myself and usually used practice bows that were worn out from the Guardian Academy.

"Don't forget these," Justuo said, pulling a quiver from his other shoulder. My eyes widened as they took in the blue and silver colored feathers that stuck up from inside the leather quiver. Ash's kingdom's colors. Our kingdom's colors.

"Justuo!" I exclaimed. "You're amazing! Thank you!" My voice was sincere, and I meant what I said.

"You're welcome," he chuckled. "Here, let me help you." He took my new quiver and pulled it over my head and shoulder. "Now carry the bow however you feel comfortable."  
I hugged him tightly. He wasn't expecting the hug, but he didn't hesitate to hug me back. "I'm glad you like it, Kiyo. I figured you'd learn better if you had your own bow."

"I love it," I said pulling back and giving him a smile.

"Good," he replied. There was a moment of hesitation where his fingers lingered on my arm.

"Shall we?" I asked in haste. I'm sure Kairi and Yomi along with the rest of Mpopyya were waiting for me.

"Of course," Justuo said after another moment. I led the way out of the room, and found Ash waiting in the hall near the door. His back was pressed against the wall, and his arms were crossed over his chest.

"Hi," I said brightly.

"Hello, love," Ash said. "I see you got your bow."

"Yeah, it's really pretty," I said looking at Justuo. "Come on." I looked between them to see a smile just beneath their blank faces. I wondered in the back of my mind if they had planned the new bow gift together. I dismissed it later, but hey, you never knew with those two.

Yami's Point of View

Nightmare's hand massaged a circle between my shoulder blades. "You better be careful today," I warned. "I don't want you to come home in anything less than perfect condition."

"I know. I'll be safe," he said softly. My muscles were relaxed now, and my form was slouched forward as the two of us spoke in our room. It was beautifully navy blue and bright red, varying with pillows, chairs, and other decorations. He pulled me back into his arms and against his chest.

"Stay close to your friends," I continued. "Don't worry about me or Kairi. I'm sure Avalanche will act as guard dogs for her." I felt him breathe in as if to say something, but he stayed quiet instead. "What is it?" I asked in curiosity.

Nightmare hesitated before speaking. "Are you sure you want me to go, Yami?" he wondered. I took his hand in mine.

"Yes. There's no way I'm letting you miss something this huge because of me. There's no way," I repeated at the end. "If the boys are going, then you go. Besides," I added lightly, "I'll get to stab real people with the katana you gave me one day. Don't worry about me."

This made Nightmare smile. "If you wish it, so may it be, milady."

"Obnoxious," I muttered, but I smiled anyway.

Kiyomi's Point of View

"Battle," I wondered aloud. I thought back to the other times we had been attacked and wondered if it would be anything like them. I also kept thinking of my serious teddy bear, and I couldn't shake the foreboding feeling that was hovering in the air. My room, blue, carpeted, and tidy, was still. I released a sigh. Frustration flared through me. I hated feeling like I had no options, like there was nothing I could do to help Negative.

After grumbling under my breath, I took a look at my outfit. I was wearing blue pants that fit tightly but were stretchy. My hair was tied in pigtails, and fingerless gloves covered my arms, morphing into a long sleeved shirt. Converse were the last touch. My reflection stared back at me from the mirror.

On that note, I might as well say that I had finally gotten over my aversion to mirrors; the image of my reflection morphing into Noel still haunted my mind, but the heck with it. She hadn't appeared since that day, so I doubted she ever would.

The soft thud of footsteps stopping at my door caught my attention. His magical resonance made me stand to greet him; Negative stepped into the room.

"Hey," he said just as softly as the door clicking into place when he shut it.

"Hey," I replied with a smile. We met halfway, hugging tightly. He ran his hand through my hair once before we pulled away slightly.

"How are you holding up? Have you talked to Kairi today?" His eyes darkened at the mention of the mission they would be going on today.

"Alright," I said leaning against his chest and rest my head there. He continued to stroke my hair as I continued. "I talked to her this morning. But I don't like you going without me."

"You shouldn't worry about me," Negative said, voice soothing. "It's just a little ambush. Besides, we'll have our friends from the Sanctuary to help us out."

"You better be careful!" I urged. "Please, I don't think I can handle anything bad happening to you anymore."

"I promise I'll come home perfectly fine," he vowed, his face completely serious.

"Good," I smiled, but it was a tired smile filled with worry. I hid it by burying my face in his shirt. There was no need for him to realize how worried I was. I let a long silence enfold us for awhile before I spoke. "Did you see anything about today?" I pulled back to see his eyes, to read his reaction.

"No complete visions." He paused, almost hesitating. After a moment, he breathed a sigh and continued. "But I've seen flashes of today, and it does not look pretty." I felt a frown form on my lips. My hands clenched around his red shirt tightly, and I didn't even realize it until he eased my hands into his. He didn't say anything as I stared at him. Negative seemed to be evaluating my reaction.

It was several minutes before I found my voice. "I have a bad feeling about this, Negative," I finally whispered.

"I know, but you'll be alright," he said. "I won't let anything happen to you."

"I'm not really worried about me. I'm worried about you and Ashu-Niisama and Yoru and Kairi…," I let my sentence end though the list silently went on; everyone in the Inner Circle – with the exception of Raj – were on my mind.

"You should focus on positive thoughts," Negative said, brushing my cheek with his thumb. "Kiyo will need your support."

"I know. Just stay close to the rest of the Inner Circle," I said, kissing his cheek. "And stay safe."

"Always," he whispered in my ear before pecking my cheek in return.

Kairi's Point of View

We met in the throne room where Mpopyya and the Inner Circle were waiting. Everyone was tense, hiding their anxiety with forced smiles and weak jokes. It was almost laughable how fake we acted before Ash finally talked about the mission coming up. A solemn air filled the room and each of us.

"Today, we stand up for our kingdom and we show Elliot that he has no right to send his men into our villages and kill our people. He will no longer char our buildings and disrespect our queen. Today, we show him that if you hurt our innocents and ruin the families of our future, then he will face our wrath." He paused, and I realized that, in the movies, this was supposed to be the part where everyone cheered in agreement, but instead, no one even made a peep. "I won't lie and say that those that are going will come back perfectly fine. There's a good chance that several of you will be wounded, some even fatally so." Kiyo's breath sucked in sharply, and her anxiety trickled into me through our bond. "I don't doubt that you are all exceptionally skilled, however, and if the Fates do guide us honestly, then what happens has been destined to for quite some time now. Know that you all leave here today to protect our kingdom."

"Don't you think this is a little too dangerous for Kairi?" Kiyo said, her voice barely audible in the wake of Ash's strong, knowing one. "If there's really a chance for people to do, isn't it a little rash to send Kairi, a novice Guardian, on a mission that is dangerous enough to kill Inner Circle members?" I had to fight to keep from snapping at her that I would be fine and that I could handle myself.

"You have too little faith in them, your majesty," Fear said. "Lord Ash's speech was more for morale boosting than anything, and besides, Kairi has her guard dogs." Fear paused long enough to smirk at Justuo. "I'm sure they'll do their jobs just fine."

"For the sake of Kairi, but of course," Serein replied coolly. Though she said nothing else, I knew the sentence continued on. "Not for the sake of Ash, though."

Sensing the spark of tension, Ash quickly stepped in. "Fear is right to not concern yourself with Kairi's safety. All will be well in the end." Kiyo crossed her arms, and she didn't say anything in response.

"We are ready to disembark, my lord," Night Rider said.

"Very well," Ash replied. "Best of luck."

* * *

**And Chapter 64 is officially done. ^^ This chapter was already written back when I was working on chapter 50 or so, but some issues came up and I ended up having to rewrite the entire thing in order to make everything make sense. Very sorry for the long wait as I absolutely hate rewriting pieces I've already written. -_-; Anyway, here it is! Review and enjoy!**

**~KF**

7


	66. Kill or Be Killed

_Chapter Sixty-Five: Kill or Be Killed_

There were only several things I was aware of in this very moment: the first one was the reassuring presence and emotional steadiness of Yoru, Lancer, and Avalanche, who were, like me, crouched in the brush several hundred yards from the spot we were supposed to be ambushing Elliot's troops; the second thing I was aware of was the deafly silent air that seemed to press against my ear drums almost like it was trying to will itself into my brain and drive me mad; lastly, the irksome jittery feeling I had in my stomach every time Lightning's face passed through my mind. Besides those three things, I was completely numb to everything. I couldn't perceive any sense of time passing or any of the heat that was slowly beginning to intensify as the sun rose higher in the sky, not even the slight breeze or pounding of my heart though that should have been the first thing I noted.

No, instead I could only stare distantly at the forested road a good bit away. A firm hand on my shoulder nearly caused me to yelp, but as soon as I realized it was just Lancer, I immediately calmed down. He seemed a bit apologetic when he met my gaze, offering a small, reassuring smile. I touched his hand, hoping it would put his mind at ease.

It was then that Justuo, who had been still and completely silent this entire time, shifted and notched an arrow. Several other people readied weapons, whether they were arrows, guns, or close ranged weapons. Yoru summoned her scythe, her stance going rigid. My heart felt like it fell into my stomach. Quickly, I also summoned my scythe before frantically scanned the area for any signs of movement, but it wasn't until several minutes later that I actually saw soldiers. Everyone else must have heard their approach or felt their presence, I realized. Lancer's hand found my shoulder, and I let out a soft breath I didn't realize I was holding in.

I swallowed, looking at the troops closer. At the head of the group, I could just make out the pale face and dark hair of Trace. He, like the other soldiers, was on foot. I found it odd that he was walking instead of riding some form of mount, but I didn't have time to think about it much longer; Lightning was only feet from him.

I suddenly felt like my chest was heavy, and my breath seemed shorter than it was only seconds ago. _Kairi_, Yoru's voice floated to me in a worried tone, almost as if she has whispered it to me. I tore my eyes from Lightning to look up at her. She watched me knowingly, and it was then that I realized we really did have a mind connection. _Concentrate_.

I swallowed, nodding only slightly. I returned my gaze to the soldiers in the open field ahead of me. We were on a slightly inclined hill, peering down at them from the cover of foliage. Though we had the element of surprise, something told me they already sensed us. The sound of a soft breeze swished by my ear, and before I knew it, Serein and Justuo darted forward, sending arrows raining down on the soldiers.

"Stay close, _devinia_," Fayt said before gracefully leaping forward after them, a whip snaking from his hand. The rest of our team emerged, Yoru included, and I followed immediately. The soldiers below took several seconds to realize they were under attack, just enough time to get halfway to them. They all seemed quite surprised, even Lightning, but Trace, with his stoic face, was completely prepared for such an attack. Thanks mind connection.

"Retaliate!" Trace shouted, drawing his sword. "Take out our assailants immediately!" We were vastly outnumbered, but if what Ash, Sempu, and Rufus had speculated was true, these troops weren't nearly as skilled any of us, including me. The ones we were really concerned about were any of Elliot's Inner Circle members that may have tagged along.

We ran ever closer to the group of soldiers until we were clashing swords with them. I lost sight of both Trace and Lightning. Lancer, staying by my side the entire time, however, reminded me that I couldn't think of either of them then. I had to concentrate. Soldiers moved towards me in waves, and I tried to keep a calm face as I began to swing my scythe. I didn't worry about being graceful or epic, I just slammed through enemies as hard as I could.

A ball of fire whizzed past my head, scorching a male soldier I hadn't noticed. An arrow flew by as well. Fayt and Justuo had my back. Yoru charged past me, her eyes tainted golden red as the Demon within rose to the surface. She would feed off the sight of carnage, for she hadn't let her Demon out for a long time. My focus returned. With a twirl of Kuroyasha, fire coated her, beautifully bright red and raging.

I moved forward through the soldiers, using everything I'd learned in Guardian Training and personal training with Justuo. I felt myself slip into an emotional void; all emotion leaked away, and I knew I was perishing them away. In that blank state, I began to move easier, almost gliding with each block and swing.

_Don't get cocky, Guardian_, Trace thought to me. I turned in time to see him only feet away. He held his sword, poised. _Let's play_, he mouthed but it rang in my head as clearly as if he had whispered it. Darkness was washing through the area from him. Lancer took a step forward, his lance pointed towards Trace.

Trace had started towards me with speed I could barely comprehend. I felt fear course through me. He really _was_ going to kill me. Our conversation earlier had just been a ruse. I braced myself for his impact by bringing Kuroyasha up to defend me from his onslaught of attacks. A flash of color slammed into Trace, knocking him out of the way. My held breath rushed out of my lungs in a sigh as I realized Justuo was now wrestling with Trace on the ground.

"Don't touch my _devinia_, leech!" he growled.

"She's sold her soul to the devil already," Trace sneered. "There's no redemption now!" It sent chills down my spine, and I found myself backing away from them as they went at each other, punching, kicking, and kneeing. Darkness ripped past me, causing my stomach to twist in discomfort and nausea. Lancer doubled over at the effects, and if I had to guess why I didn't have that bad of a reaction to it, I'd say it was because I'd been around it so much more than he had.

"Lancer, move," I groaned. "Get away from those two!"

_Come now, Master_, Kuroyasha snarled. I felt my scythe slip away to fur as she formed beneath me. She moved forward, towards Lancer, and I quickly grabbed his shoulder, hauling him onto her back. Lancer's arms snaked around me, and I tightened my grip on my lion's fur. She darted forward. I squeezed my eyes shut as my mind seemed to explode with that sick, stomach curdling feeling. I mentally fumbled to close off my connection to Trace. The pounding was unbearable, and when I finally closed off our connection, my head seemed to vibrate. The pain was gone, at least. With a groan, I forced myself into a sitting position and opened my eyes. The further we got from Trace and Justuo, the more the effects of Darkness lessened.

"Find Fayt," I commanded. I knew he would be near Aki, and Aki was one of the only ones that could help with separating Trace and Justuo before they let the Darkness carry turn them to the Angels. If that happened, we might as well have been dead anyway. Kuroyasha gave a growl of agreement. We dashed through the crowds quicker than before. As my eyes swept through the crowds, I found Night Rider, Nightmare, and Skye taking on at least ten soldiers. Skye's flames torched them, while Night Rider and Nightmare sliced through them with swords.

I spotted Yoru as she viciously slayed soldier after soldier. I refused to shudder; Yoru was the same Yoru she had been earlier, this was just her Demonic side.

Clover and Tai were closer to the back, casting spells and through magic of all sorts towards enemies and allies alike. I paused, and when I did, Kuroyasha followed my hesitation. "Clover!" I called. She looked up, surprised to see me.

"Kairi, what's the matter?"

"Keep Lancer here, please," I asked. Lancer looked at me with outrage.

"No, I'm staying with you," he countered.

"Please, you can't handle the Darkness like I can," I said, touching his shoulder gently. "Clover can douse you in Light if it gets any worse."

"She's right about that," Tai agreed.

"I'm staying with you," Lancer said again. I gave him the most apologetic look I could.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "Not until Justuo ad Trace have been separated."

"Kairi," he said, voice dead serious. I almost caved. The sound of my name on his lips was always enough to make me melt. Thankfully, Clover pulled him down before Lancer had the time to struggle. Kuroyasha and I took off. "Kairi!" I winced at that last call from him.

"Let's find the other members of Avalanche," I began. "We'll need them to stop those two." It didn't take long to find Fayt; he was working his way towards Trace and Justuo already. I swooped in, dropping from Kuroyasha's back and throwing fire towards the soldiers he was taking on.

"You are becoming quite diligent, _devinia_," Fayt remarked as he turned to face me. He had a cut across his cheek, but other than that, he was unscathed. "Careful!" He moved past me, pushing me away from whatever threat he had noticed. I spun around in time to see him flicking his wrist in just the right way to wrap his whip around the soldier's neck. He jerked it with force I sometimes forgot that Fayt had. With a sick cracking sound, the soldier dropped to his knees, neck twisting in an unnatural way.

"We have to get to Justuo," I said breathlessly.

"No, you must keep your distance from this fight."

"At least take Kuroyasha," I insisted. "She will get you there faster."

"Very well," Fayt agreed. "Go help the other finish off the soldiers. Yoru could use some help, I am sure."

"Okay, be careful!"

"You as well." Fayt launched himself onto Kuroyasha's back. She lurched forward, and the two of them became immersed in the battling soldiers. I reached within me, summoning Ryokua to my hand. A flashback to Misula's words echoed through my mind.

_Use him for this mission and make up for when we failed last time. _Then_ you can return him to me_. I clenched the sword tightly, turning the other way and jogging back the way I came. I was tempted to peek into Trace's mind to see if he and Justuo were okay, but remembering the painful throbbing the Darkness had caused before, I thought better of it. Instead, I started taking down soldiers as I had before. The sword, thought I had practiced plenty of times, still had a slightly foreign feel in my hand. Still, I had enough experience to take out several soldiers. I was working on my fifth when the worst thing that could have happened did happen.

I slipped up. The girl had a bow, but she wasn't especially good at using it. She came close to hitting me twice as I tried to fight the man she was helping. He had a dagger that he kept faking me out with. I couldn't focus on both of them, not with just Ryokua. I dodged the knife just barely, and before I could move to a steadier position, the girl sent an arrow into my left shoulder. I shouted out in pain, retreating several steps to recollect my thoughts. I threw fire towards the girl, but I was starting to feel the drain of using so much magic and energy.

The girl screamed in terror, recoiling. Thank the Fates the string on her bow singed and broke. The man moved forward, and I stepped back again, trying my best to keep out of his range. The arrow didn't have much force to it; the wound wouldn't be fatal, but I needed to get it out of me.

There was a thumping from somewhere behind me, the sound of four paws hitting the ground. It was Kuroyasha! It had to be. I sliced the soldier with the dagger down, turning to see who was heading my way. Before I could catch a glimpse, I was hoisted up and onto the back of Kuroyasha. I grunted in pain as the sudden motion agitated arrow. "Easy girl!" I gasped, wincing.

Beneath me, however, silver fur rustled in the wind, not black. I blinked, wondering why Haiiroyasha was here. With a jerk, I was pulled upright. My eyes flicked to my savior only feel bile rise in the back of my throat.

"Hello, love," Lightning hissed, pulling me close to him. I bit back a scream as I realized it wasn't Kuroyasha or Haiiroyasha that had come to my rescue, but instead Fangira and Lightning had come to kill me on Elliot's behalf. He looked awful, like he hadn't been sleeping or eating properly. His eyes were that same stark red as they had been last I saw him, and as he spoke his next words I saw the tips of his fangs, just waiting to feast. "I love you so very much, Kairi," he murmured in my ear, voice rough. But his embrace wasn't warm like it used to be; it was hard, rigid like a cage.

The arrow caught on the wind, and I wanted to cry out in pain. "Shh, I'll take care of that for you," he said. He gripped it firmly, pulling it from the wound. I cried out, squeezing my eyes shut at the sharp sting. I bent my head, trying to keep my neck from biting distance. When I opened my eyes again, I gasped. On his hip, the sword of the Sanctuary lay sheathed. Fear coursed through me like ice.

"Your blood…is the only thing that can help me now, don't you see? I can't drink from anybody except you, love." I squirmed uncomfortably. "_He_ won't _let_ me." I shuddered at the desperate tone he had taken on. There was a sharp intake of breath from him; he tensed for just a second before falling forward limply. His eyes flickered purple, almost like he was trying to hide his Vampiric nature. "I'm so sorry." Suddenly, his arms tightened around me, constricting me from even squirming anymore. "I can't…take it!"

"Lightning?" I whispered unsure. His head fell, landing against my shoulder. I felt the urge to recoil, but stayed firm.

"Get away while you can; I can't control…!" His grip loosened before he clutched his head.

"Lightning, what's-," I began. He screamed in pain, cutting off my sentence. He jerked backwards, eyes glowing red again. I fumbled backwards, but found that I was already on Fangira's neck. "Lightning!" I yelled.

"Run!" he growled fangs bore. We were still running at a steady pace, but if I didn't get off of here, Lightning was going to kill me. I closed my eyes, held my breath, and threw myself off of Fangira. The seconds passed like minutes until I slammed into the ground, skidding across the dirt and grass. Using the momentum of the fall, I rolled to my feet. I stumbled, but thankfully, I stayed upright. Only a split second passed before I started back the way I'd come, doing my best to put as much distance as I possibly could between Lightning and me.

The sound of thumping footsteps approached again. I pushed faster, forcing myself to take longer strides. Lightning could only be yards behind me, and I knew he'd catch up sooner or later; there was no way I could outrun Fangira. And I couldn't run forever. A loud roar sounded from somewhere near, and I swore I was about to die. A loud grunt sounded, and the thumping ceased. I paused, turning to look behind me for the first time.

Kuroyasha stood over a startled-looking Lightning, snarling in anger. He squirmed out from beneath her and shot right towards me. I summoned Kuroyasha to my hands immediately, swiping at him. He dodged neatly, pulling the Sword of the Sanctuary from its sheath with graceful movements. He stepped forward, faking a punch to my face. I leaned out of his reach only to find myself falling to the ground. Pain exploded across my cheek, and disorientation made my world spin. I blinked to see Lightning's foot retreating to the ground. _He must have kicked me in the face_, I said in my mind.

I scrambled to stand, but my limbs didn't want to cooperate. Lightning, seemingly amused, stood there, watching my attempts. When my mind finally stopped spinning, I got to my feet, Kuroyasha at the ready.

My heart was pounding so hard I could barely make out the other noises exploding around me. My face was hot and wet, both with seat and blood, tears and dirt. The air that escaped my lungs was ragged, catching on the inside of my throat as if it too was as exhausted as I was. I was thankful for the adrenaline that had finally taken over, pushing all pains of exhaustion from my languorous limbs.

Lightning was far better off that I was. His face lacked the same rough, soiled look mine had accumulated. He looked regal, graceful, and more than capable of ending me. The Sword of the Sanctuary was poised in his delicately firm grasp, hungering to snake out and take my life, to taste my blood. Lightning moved closer, his red eyes seemingly gentle but deadly. He moved with precision that I'd always known he had but never seen. Seeing him like this, in his true rigorous form, nearly scared me into submission; Kuroyasha suddenly felt like she weighed a ton. My breath, already rapid ad labored, became even heavier.

"Dearest Kairi," he murmured, drawing closer. A pang of fear cut through my stomach at the words. "Didn't I tell you to run?"

"I can't run anymore." I shook my head slowly. "I can't keep running and leave you behind to suffer for the both of us," I whispered, voice shaking with anticipation.

"So what are you going to do? Are you going to kill me, Kairi?" Lightning's voice was amused, darkly so, but still amused. He moved closer, and I tensed in surprise. "Do you have it in you to kill me?" Gazing into Lightning's eyes with uncertainty, it was hard to tell. Could I really kill him, even if I wanted to? I loved him, had kissed him, had did my best to keep him safe and in turn Lightning had saved me, taken care of me, held me…Staring into those eyes, despite how red they were, I knew I couldn't do it. I yearned for him to see that, to feel the same way.

Surprising myself, I opened my emotions to him, allowing him to see how I felt because words couldn't do it justice, not right now. Lightning's face faltered, the sadistic smile flickering to something of pain. Hope and sympathy fluttered in my chest, simultaneously, but I didn't move any closer. He, however, staggered forward, his footing seemingly heavy. "K-Kairi?" I felt my heart clench, the sound of his broken voice cutting through any reason I had like warm butter. A tingling trickled over me that I didn't pay any mind to; his eyes that hadn't left mine began to fade to blue. "He's…he has me…"

"Lightning, you have to fight him," I begged. One hand grasped his shirt firmly while the other struggled to keep Kuroyasha steady. With trembling fingers, he gripped my hand in his.

"Now's your chance," he managed, shaking his head, but never breaking our eye contact. "End me before I lose control again." I bit back a cry of protest as he continued. "Master Elliot won't res until I've killed you…"

"I can't," I finally whispered. "I can't do it, Lightning, I can't kill you." A tear slid down my cheek without permission. He looked utterly defeated, slumping forward heavily. I gasped, catching him against my side with my free hand. "I'm so sorry." As soon as he fell against me, a strange feeling overcame me. Like water splashing across my mind. I blinked, pulling Lightning closer almost automatically.

"There's nothing to be sorry for." He wrapped his arms around me for support as I stroked his back gently. He raised his head, brushing his lips over my ear. I froze, realizing why the weird feeling from before felt so familiar. "Foolish of you to trust in him so much, Kairi," he breathed. My world spun as I realized he had been compelling me to not resist him. Lightning's arms crushed me against him, holding me there forcefully.

"No!" I gasped. "Lightning!" His mouth was on my neck in seconds. I cried out, thrashing against his grip. I felt his fangs against my flesh, and panic nearly seized complete control of me.

"Lightning's not here anymore," he snarled. I knew it was Elliot. His fangs pierced my throat; a bloodcurdling scream escaped my mouth but it was silenced almost immediately by Elliot covering my mouth with Lightning's hand. Disorientation flicked through me, and I couldn't help but relive those terrifying moments in which Lightning had last fed from me to save my life.

Somewhere in my mind, reason beckoned to me, calming some of the fear and panic berating my every sense. Lessons Justuo had taught me relayed in my head. In a split second, after Elliot had let his guard slip, I twisted my body, breaking away from his mouth. I delivered a swift quick to his stomach.

Elliot, having not expected me to retaliate, glared, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "I was trying to be generous by draining you gently, but if you really want to suffer, dear, I can make it happen." I was shaken from the bite, but as my body released more pounding adrenaline into my veins, I could barely feel it.

"Go to hell, Elliot," I growled. "But first, give Lightning back his mind."

"I'll be dragging you to hell, first, insolent child." Lightning's voice was tight with Elliot's fury. He gripped the Sword of the Sanctuary, drawing it backwards with speed I could barely comprehend. There was no way I'd be able to move out of the way fast enough. I moved backwards in an attempt to avoid the strike, but I embraced myself for the pain that was surely to follow the deadly blow.

A triumphant smirk painted Lightning's lips as he stepped forward to impale me. I squeezed my eyes shut, refusing to watch Elliot's sick satisfaction play on Lightning's face. The sound of a blade plunging into flesh reached my ears. I cried out. A painful grunt that transformed into a gurgled groan followed. My eyes snapped open, expecting to find ravenous, scarlet eyes watching my blood spill forth.

Instead, smoky grey ones, dazed and pained, stared past me. For a hysterical moment, I thought Kiyo had been stabbed with me. It was only when I noticed the remnants of faint green in those eyes and recognized the familiar facial structure as Lancer's that I finally looked down. The sharp blade, streaked blood-red, jutted from Lancer's stomach. With an unnatural crunch, the blade twisted once. I winced, pain blossoming in my abdomen due to the connection between Lancer and me. His face became agonized as he crumbled forward. Immediately, my arms caught him.

"Fai!" I screamed, but I wasn't sure why. He coughed, spewing blood a spray of blood all over my face; I didn't care. My legs were suddenly too shaky to hold me up, much less Lancer. My knees buckled, sending Lancer and I to the ground. He made a pained noise at the impact. Lightning jerked the blade out, and blood seeped from Lancer's wounds, leaking onto me, warm and wet.

"I've been waiting so long to do that," Lightning mused. He twirled sword with force, dispelling the blood coating it. Something inside me shifted then, and suddenly, I wasn't in control of body. I was merely an onlooker.

"You Fatesdamned bloodsucker!" I snarled. Gently, I eased Lancer into a lying position beside me before taking Kuroyasha up again.

"Lin," Lancer choked. "No…" And that was when everything clicked. All the pieces suddenly fell into place. I wasn't just Kairi, I was Lin, too. She had been living with me this entire time, both of us acting as one being, two parts of the same whole. She had her own will and her own agenda, just like I did, but we were one and the same. But Lin was furious, unrelenting, and now, because she was, so was I! She was in control now. She was ready to kill.

"Ah, Lin." I couldn't call him Lightning anymore because the animalistic look on his face was something Lightning could have never pulled off. Elliot flashed Lightning's fangs before continuing. "What a pleasant surprise," he mused.

"I will not allow you to use us any longer!" Lin said, voice defiant. "Fight me so I may finally put an end to your tyranny!"

"But you love my vessel, child," Elliot insisted. "You both do. How could you ever hope to kill me if you can't get through my pawns?"

"We may love Lightning, but we both love Fai, too!" Her voice cracked on his name, on Lancer's real name, I realized. She was right, we did both love Fai. "And I won't allow him…" She had to stop to perish her emotion before continuing. "He will not die without consequence!"

Elliot right out laughed, a twisted, unnatural sound. "You claim you're ready to kill Lightning, but is Kairi? You can't do it alone."

"I won't be killing him, my old king," Lin said with conviction. "I'll be killing you."

"Please," Elliot snapped. "You'd be dead before you lay eyes on me."

"Enough talk," she growled coldly.

"Agreed." Elliot's voice was deadly, sparking fear in the pit of my stomach like ice. Fire flared at Kuroyasha's blade before Lin twirled her with ease. They dashed towards one another so quickly that I could barely keep up, though it may just have been because Lin was in control of my body that I couldn't quite keep up. My limbs moved fluidly, meeting each strike with a solid block.

But even Lin could feel how tired I really was – how tired _we_ really were. Elliot, seeing this, moved in for the nearest opening he could find; he caught the curve of Kuroyasha's blade with the Sword of the Sanctuary, twisting my her from our hands before tossing her aside and binding her in Darkness. "Kuroyasha!" Lin and I exclaimed. We raised our arms as one, fire engulfing our hands. It wouldn't take long before our magical energy to tire out, too.

With a flick of her wrist, Lin send the flames soaring Elliot's way. To my utter horror, Elliot laughed and stayed planted in his place. The fire slammed into Lightning's chest, scorching his clothes away and burning flesh beneath. Lin, feeling just as shocked and repulsed as I was, froze. Elliot didn't as much as flinch, but I knew the flames had to have been excruciating.

_I bet Lightning feels it_, I whispered in my mind. _Elliot won't feel the pain unless he wants to. He can probably make his vessel feel all the wounds and agony instead of facing it himself._ It was a sad thought, and Lin knew I was right.

"Hmm, hesitation is the first step in losing a fight," Elliot commented. "Why don't you take advantage of the window of opportunity while you have it?" His posture went rigid, a shiver passing through him. He clenched his eyes shut, clutching his forehead like he had a headache. When he looked up, his face was stricken with pain. He stepped forward, eyes fading to blue. "Stop him!" he exclaimed. "Stop _me_!" Lin and I froze for just a split second. Just one fragment of a second was all it took for Elliot to fool me a second time. He jumped forward, front kicking me so hard I slammed into the ground. His eyes sparked red once more. Lin and I rolled onto our stomach, pushing onto our knees and hands.

Fai's body lay only two feet away, his breath struggling to carry oxygen to his draining veins. His eyes seemed distant, like he was in another time and place. A sob rumbled through my chest, and suddenly, all I wanted to do was hold him in what could very easily be his final moments. I started towards him, barely able to move my exhausted limbs. Lin gave me a push of energy from somewhere that helped me get to his side.

"Another lesson that Feavii failed to teach you," Elliot continued. "Never turn your back on your enemy." A searing flare of pain bit into my shoulder blades. I cried out, crumbling forward onto Fai's bloody torso. He grunted at the force of my weight falling against him. More of his blood soaked me. "Oh how love does destroy," he sneered. "I'm going enjoy every second of killing you for all the hell you've caused me, little Fatewin. All those times you got in my way, every pathetic whimper Lightning made on your behalf, every damn time you were arrogant enough to oppose me, and every time you held your blade against me in the name of your pathetic king and your childish friends." His voice grew angrier with each passing word. I felt his fury, his frustration.

"I'm sorry, Fai," I whispered. "I'm so very sorry." My cheek rested against his shoulder.

"Don't be, dear." I heard him barely breathe. I felt his hand, trembling from blood loss and weariness, rest against my back.

"Convenient for you both to be on top of one another," Elliot snickered, but there was no humor in the jibe. "You see how much she cares, Lightning? How much she _loves_ you?"

"Stop!" I yelled hoarsely. "Just leave him alone!" Lin was still here, supporting my every word. A flash of pain I knew belonged to Lightning flickered across his face before Elliot's mask of stern resentment returned.

"It's well past your death day, little Fatewin," Elliot stated.

"The Fates haven't seen delivered on this day, blood sucker!" The voice that called over the hammering in my ears was comforting and familiar but I couldn't place it, not right now. A strong gust of wind blew through the area, knocking Elliot back a few feet. I covered my eyes in response.

"Ah, the blue haired Feavii," Elliot chuckled. "Fayt Voronwe Godwing."

"Do not toy with me," Fayt replied evenly. "Serein, get Kairi and Lancer." I looked up to find Fayt poised between Elliot and Fai and me, whip in one hand, water summoned to the other.

"Serein," I managed as soon as she came into my line of sight. "Where's Justuo and Trace?"

"Everyone is just fine, Kairi," she reassured. "No need to get hot and bothered."

"And an Ooroomiss, too," Elliot chuckled. "This is a pleasant surprise. Two of Feywood's finer fruits, mine for the plucking."

"It's Elliot, not Lightning," I said as Serein eased me into an upright position next to Fai's weakening body. "He's possessing Lightning."

"Fayt can handle him until Aki gets here," Serein reassured me, but I immediately felt her unease. I shook my head.

"Vampire venom kills Feavii too easily," I argued. "Don't leave him here alone." Serein knew that already, but she didn't waver in her decision even though I was almost certain that Elliot would use it to his advantage.

"You take priority over us, _devinia_," Serein shook her head.

"I'm fine, just help Fayt," I urged. A part of me disagreed vehemently with my chivalry because Fai was practically dead beside me, but the other part of me knew I couldn't leave Fayt here to die, either.

"You are sure you can keep him conscious long enough for Aki to arrive?" Serein questioned. I nodded, but truthfully, I wasn't sure. "Very well. Stay close to Lancer. Don't let him fade away." Fumbling with exhaustion, I moved closer to Fai as she took off towards Fayt; she had her shuriken drawn before she had even turned.

"Fai," I said, taking his hand in mine. I felt Lin stir within me, and tears suddenly threatened to spill down my face. "Fai, stay with me." His eyes, gazing off into the sky emptily widened at the sound of my voice.

"K-Kairi?" he coughed. A small line of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth; at the same moment, a line of tears dripped down my face.

"I'm here," I whispered. "We're both here." With my free hand, I brush his hair from his eyes, only just now taking in how much his appearance had really changed. His once brown hair, soft as it always had been, was now teal. His smoky grey eyes were glazed over and distant, and I feared that he was so close to death that he'd lost his sight. "Just stay awake, Fai, please," I begged.

"I 'm just so tired, dear," he managed.

"I can't feel…my legs…"

"Listen to me," I whispered. "Listen to my voice. Stay awake just a little longer. Wait for a healer to get here." His hand clenched mine harder, his face contorting into an awful grimace.

I don't think…I'll last," Fai labored to say, "that long."

"No," I pleaded, squeezing his hand back. "Don't say that. You have to!" A flash of light blinded me for a moment before a scream pierced the air. The light was gone only a split second later, but the scream carried on for much longer, finally dying when a thump sounded. I turned around just in time to see Serein stepping in front of a twitching Fayt who was crumpled on the ground. Sparks danced around Lightning's finger, and I realized he must have electrocuted Fayt. It occurred to me just how weak a water user was to lightning magic.

"Fayt, when you can, get to Kairi and Lancer," Serein said, voice cold. "Get them both to healers. I won't see you risk anymore here."

"Be safe," Fayt managed to say, pushing his shaking limps to stand. He made his way to me and Fai. He offered his hand, and I took it without hesitation. Once he pulled me to my feet, I held onto him until I steadied myself. "Are you well enough to run?" he asked.

"I can try," I replied. He bent down, scooping Fai up. He made a quiet noise of pain, making my heart clench.

"Come Kairi," Fay said. We jogged forward, dodging through the crowds of scarlet soldiers. Each step felt like I was leaping over trenches. Any moment the ground would give way and send me falling. Still, I pressed forward, knowing we were so close to Clover that we could probably throw a rock and hit her.

When I saw her strawberry red hair, I wanted to scream in joy. She was in a sort of safe zone area that many of the Inner Circle members were fighting soldiers off to keep clear. Her hands flew forward, casting some sort of fire spell towards a small crowd of unaware soldiers. They all fell with screams, and she turned her attention towards us. Worry emitted from her upon our arrival. "My goodness, what's happened here?"

"He got stabbed through the stomach with the Sword of the Sanctuary," I cried breathlessly. "Please help him, Clover."

"Bring him closer," Clover commanded. Fayt obliged, moving closer to her. "I need a better look at this wound. Lay him here, please." Fayt kneeled, easing him down. He coughed in response, wincing at the shifting of his body.

Clover pulled a boot knife out, slicing at the fabrics clinging to Fai's body. The fibers cut easily, revealing the nasty wound left behind. The flesh was torn in unnatural ways, bloody and ravaging. I nearly lost it. I forced myself to turn away. I took a deep breath, choosing to distract myself with words.

"Where's Tai?" I asked, voice quivering. "He usually never leaves your side."

"He went to help break up Justuo and Trace's fight," Clover murmured, voice quieter than before. "This wound cannot be healed. My healing spells don't seem to be affecting his healing process at all."

"What?!" I asked, spinning around.

"The best I can do for now is to stop the bleeding and wrap it until we can give him better medical care." I had begun shaking without even realizing it. My fingers trembled, all thoughts turned towards Fai's whimpering and his current condition.

It wasn't until Clover had crushed some sort of concoction of herbs together into a salve and smeared it onto Fai's wound did I finally snap out of my daze; Clover froze in the middle of grabbing the wraps. Her face turned to that of horror before suddenly, she let out a ear shattering scream. I flinched in surprise.

"What's wrong?!" I asked.

"Clover?" Fayt asked. She clenched at her head, screaming even louder if that was even possible. She flinched away from him, scooting back. She was seeing something different than us or Fai, something that was so terribly awful that she couldn't drag herself out of it.

Something had gone wrong.

**Here's the next one! What did everyone think? I had to rewrite most of this, but it's finally done and over with. Sorry for the cliff hanger, all! Comments and suggestions are always welcome! Review and enjoy!**


	67. The Sky Cried

_**Chapter Sixty-Six: The Sky Cried**_

Yomi's Point of View

The fountain before us reflected a perfect image of the battle happening so many miles away. Kiyo clung to Ash's side, but I wasn't sure if she was aware that she was. Lancer had taken a blow to the stomach, but they were with Clover now.

It was then that the unimaginable happened. The reflecting pool focused in on Sempu, her lethal blades slicing down enemies left and right. It was obvious that by now the scarlet sea of five hundred soldiers had dwindled down greatly, but many of them were trying to take out Sempu in particular, for they knew her very well as the leader of the rebels. She was nimble of course, always on guard, but even Sempu had her limits. And five soldiers on her back may have just been that limit.

I saw the man with the sword thrusting forward, for just a second I thought she was really going to get hit. However, to my surprise, Justuo guarded her just in time. He must have recovered from the close call with Trace. "Very nice save, boy," Sempu commented simply.

"Anything to help a fellow comrade," he replied. The problem was that he didn't see the soldier behind him, and Sempu didn't either. Panic seized me just as the ax swung at his back.

"Justuo!" Kiyo yelled, and I stepped forward, concern filling me. I didn't mean to show my feelings, but in that moment, I saw Kairi's mentor's life flash before me, and though we had never really seen eye to eye, the thought of his death was not a pleasant one. One second, the ax was heading straight for Justuo's back. The next second, a scream permeated the air, but it wasn't Justuo that screamed. Tai, weak bodied little Tai, who was never inside the fray, fell to the ground. Scarlet liquid oozed from him. I gasped, hands flying to my mouth.

Timed seemed to stop, and suddenly, screams and shouts and cries exploded from everywhere. Ash's swift intake of breath cut through the sound. "Fear, stay here with the rest of Mpopyya until I return."

"Tai!" Mizu screamed. Many of the Inner Circle members froze as they felt the fatal wound that had been inflicted upon their friend. Negative froze, and he was punched in the face as a result.

"No!" I shouted.

"Ash, I have to come!" Kiyo cried, shaking his arm.

"No, you are to stay here," he whispered. "It's too dangerous. I'll return shortly."

"Oh my gosh," Yami murmured, looking away from the pool of water. He hand covered her mouth and she slowly turned, walking away from it. The image flickered to Clover, and I could have sworn she was about to lose her mind with all the screaming and flailing she was doing.

"Tai!" she managed. "Fates be cursed, my brother has fallen!" Kairi stumbled back.

"No…," she barely whispered. "No!" Clover stood before taking off in the opposite direction. The pool flickered again, flipping back to Justuo and Sempu. The enemies were dispatched now, and Justuo was bending down to help Tai.

Ash was gone now, having created a portal and immediately departed and leaving us all to stare into the shifting waters of the present state of the mission.

Justuo's Point of View

Tai's blood soaked my clothing and skin, but it didn't phase me in the least as I held him in a better position. "Tai, stay with me, man," I spoke urgently. "You shouldn't have done that." I felt numb at the thoughts pounding through my head. "We have to get you to a healer."

"Justuo d-don't spare me your false hope," Tai coughed, a grimace taking over his features shortly afterwards. "Not even a Phoenix could heal these wounds in time to spare me." My limbs, which were still shaking from the abuses Darkness had done to me while Trace and I had fought, struggled to stay still.

"Okay, that's fair enough," I said whispered. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"I need my sister. Take me to my sister." I nodded, adjusting his weight to lift him up, but Sempu's hand grabbed my shoulder.

"No, he needs to stay as still as possible. He won't last if you move him to much; it'll spill more blood." Her voice was solemn and quiet, her voice only ringing truth.

"Tai!" A scream echoed through the scattering battle cries still lingering around us. I glanced up, recognizing it as none other than Clover herself; their mind connection had probably already tipped her off on his incident. She stumbled forward, all of her usual graceful stature gone now. As soon as we came into her line of sight, she sprinted full on, finally collapsing beside the heap in my arms that was her brother.

"Clover?" Tai asked, and despite the contorted look in his eyes, he smiled at the sight of her crouching over him. "You're okay, thank the Fates." He outstretched a fumbling hand, and she immediately took it in hers.

"No, I'm not okay," she cried. "Look at you."

"That's not important now," he said.

"Let me heal you," she insisted placing her free hand on his shoulder.

"No," Tai disagreed. "The wounds are too great for even your scale, Clover. Not without draining your mental magical resonance completely." That would result in her own death, but he didn't say this part. "Queen Kiyo still needs you to help her with Light."

"You can't leave me," she begged. "I need you, brother! We're a team."

"You're strong enough to take care of yourself now. You don't need me."

"Tai, no," she whispered before her breath quickened in panic. "I can't feel you anymore!" More tears spilled over her cheeks, and I felt like I was intruding in on their little goodbye.

"Shh," Tai breathed, eyes closing. "Don't cry."

"How can I not when my only family is dying before me?"

"I never could stand it when someone made you cry. You know that." There was a moment's pause as Clover's cries grew harder.

"I was scared, but you're with me now, dear sister," he sighed softly. "I have nothing to fear." He turned his head slightly towards me, his eyes opening just enough for him to see me. "You must protect and teach Mpopyya until they are ready to stand on their own."

I had to swallow hard to keep the knot of emotions in my throat from showing. "Of course, Tai."

"Good. I can rest easy knowing…," his sentence dropped off as a cough cut through his throat. When he could finally breathe again, he finished, "Knowing that you'll take care of them."

"Tai!" a new voice spoke. I blinked, surprised that I hadn't felt his presence sooner. Ash himself knelt beside Clover.

"Your Majesty," Tai breathed, eyes flicking to him. "I fear my time is closing."

"You've done your part, my friend," Ash whispered. "You needn't suffer anymore."

"H-have I failed…you my lord?" Tai's breath was growing fainter.

"No, quite the opposite," Ash reassured him. He gently rested a hand on his head.

"I will…serve my king and queen, even in the next life," Tai vowed.

"Yes, we will meet once more when you are reborn, my loyal friend." Ash's voice wavered, but I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze. Clover's cries grew louder as Tai's eyes slipped closed, this time for the last time.

"Brother!" Clover's voice hitched, hysteria curling through her sobs. She collapsed forward, clutching Tai's still form in her arms, pulling him from my lap. I had to look away. I couldn't watch their tragedy any longer. Ash stood, turning with a sort of power that would make people tremble if they weren't used to it.

"Finish them and retreat!" he called, loud and booming across the battlefield. I looked back to the safe zone, the last place I saw Kairi and Fayt heading.

Kairi's Point of View

I felt Ash's presence before I heard his shouts. I felt his sadness before my own tears started to fall. The fear and anguish whipping around me tugged at my emotions, pulling me into them and forming them into my own. Finally, after so much running and fight, my knees gave out, and I found myself on the ground, sobs wracking my body. Fai's eyes had fallen shut, and I feared he'd never wake, but Tai was wounded too?

A hand clenched my shoulder, and for a second, I thought Lightning had found me again, but when my eyes focused on my assailant, it was Yoru. She was covered in blood, but it wasn't her own. Her eyes were still golden from her recent Demon transformation, but she looked almost normal; the strange markings that usually adorned her skin when she took on her Demon form were still lingering.

"Kairi, are you okay?" she asked urgently.

"Fai," I whispered. Yoru's eyes widened in surprise. "Fai's hurt. And so is Tai, Yoru." She looked behind me to Fai's unconscious form.

"I see," she sighed. "Let's get you two home." I clutched her hand tightly, squeezing my eyes shut.

"We can't leave him here," I said quickly. I started to move to a better position to stand up, but my legs wouldn't move the way I wanted them, too. "I don't know if I can walk. Yoru, my body's numb, I don't understand. What's wrong with me?"

"Kairi, calm down," she soothed. "You're exhausted is all, and there's probably a ton of adrenaline running through your body. Hey, take a deep breath." It was only then that I felt my breath coming shorter and my head starting to spin.

"I-I can't," I stuttered. "Yoru, I'm scared."

"Sit up," a stern voice said. I felt someone pull me up by the back on my shirt and sit me upright. I blinked and looked up through the blinding spots in my vision. Justuo's fuzzy face stared down at me. "Put your head between your knees. It'll help calm your breathing and ease your panic."

"J-justuo," I whispered, but I was falling backwards then, and the world was falling away.

"Damn it," I heard him say somewhere near, but my vision was gone, and my consciousness followed shortly after.

"Kairi?" When I came to, Yoru was bent over me, gripping my shoulder and shaking gently. I blinked, and she seemed relieved to have me conscious again. "Hey, we have to go," Yoru said. "Now."

"Okay," I mumbled. She pulled me to my feet and I swayed slightly with unsteadiness. I scanned the area, finding many of our people having left already. Rath was holding a completely hysterical Clover bridal style as she flailed weakly and cried out for Tai. Tears welled in my eyes as I took in Ash as he carried Tai's limp and ravaged body in his arms. I cringed away from the sight and instead let my gaze wander to Negative, who was following after Ash; in his arms, Fai rested. I gasped, immediately trailing behind him in his wake.

I caught hold of one of Fai's hands as it dangled freely. I clenched it, moving closer to Negative to keep from pulling on his arm, hopefully giving him comfort in his unconscious mind.

Kiyo's Point of View

With Ash gone, I couldn't keep myself still. My fingers fidgeted, and I felt the need to pace, suddenly. The image across the water flickered, switching between key people and miniature events. Nightmare slicing down a few remaining enemies while Rath quickly used the distraction to make it to Clover's side.

"Oh my god, Tai," Mizu cried just as the water switched to Ash. He cradled Tai in his arms as they retreated, but I knew he was long gone now. Tears were already starting to run down my cheeks.

"They need medical attention," Fear whispered. "To the infirmary, now." I couldn't drag myself away from fountain. I saw Kairi pass out, but thankfully, Yoru was there to help her wake. The sobbing started without my permission. Before I knew it, Yomi had her arms around my shoulders, pulling me away from the fountain. I looked back just in time to see Ash teleporting. He'd be here soon.

A splash of water hitting my face made me jump. I blinked rapidly, looking upwards to find clouds so dark it looked like the sun was setting. Another droplet fell, and a flash of lightning lit up the sky. Thunder rumbled shortly after. I hadn't seen the approaching weather. It was almost like the sky was crying, too.

Kairi's Point of View

We were rushed into the infirmary, most of us wounded. Fai was still unconscious. My back stung and my muscles burned, but I didn't care about my wounds. I squeezed his hand tightly, refusing to let go of it. I wasn't sure if I could carry myself much farther, so instead, I stumbled along beside him. I couldn't help the tears rushing down my cheeks as I was dragged along. Images of Tai bombarded my mind's eye, and the look in Lightning's eyes as he pierced right through Fai's stomach.

Negative took swift strides, moving with precision that I didn't have. "Negative!" I heard Yomi call. I didn't turn to see her, but she caught up quickly. "Kiyo, get to Ash." I assumed Kiyo listened to her, but I wasn't sure where the other members of Mpopyya were at the time.

The only thing that I could recall was a twisted smirk and red eyes that matched it. A sob heaved my chest. "Fai, so help me Fates, you better pull through," I whispered through my cries. My foot caught on the ground, and I felt myself trip and fall forward. I squeezed tighter on Fai's limp, unconscious hand.

"I'll take care of him, Kairi," Negative said. "You need to take care of yourself. Yomi, see what you can do for her." My hand slipped from Fai's and my chest tightened. I couldn't bring myself to stand as people bustled around. Yomi knelt down beside me, touching my shoulder.

"Lightning did it," I breathed. My body shook with fierce sobs. She hugged me then.

"I know," she whispered. "We have to tell them."

"No…" I moaned. "No. Not yet."

"Oh gosh, Kairi," she muttered. "Your back is awful looking. We'll talk about this later. Let's get this taken care of." She pulled back to give me a concerned look.

"Kairi," a voice said from behind me. It startled me. Yomi looked over my shoulder.

"Oh, it's you," she said blandly. It must've been Justuo if this was her reaction to seeing them.

"I've got it from here," Justuo said. Yomi stood and gave him a surprisingly concerned look.

"Good. Make sure she gets it cleaned and wrapped." Her voice was as soft as her gaze, but Justuo didn't falter under it.

"I know how to make sure she gets taken care of," Justuo replied smoothly. Yomi turned and went after Negative. Justuo, as if I were a child, grabbed me under my arms and lifted me up with ease so that I'd be on my feet.

"Come on, _devinia_," he said leading me towards a bed.

"What does that even mean?" I finally asked. I'd heard Avalanche refer to me as 'devinia' more than I could count, and I had never asked what it meant until now.

"It means 'student' in Elvish," he replied offering a small smile. "It's the equivalent of 'kohai' or 'pupil'."

"How do you say sensei?" I asked absently. This small little tidbit of information was keeping me from succumbing to sobs that were building in my chest.

"_Elbrii,_" he said as he gestured to the bed in front of us. I sat down like he'd instructed.

"Eel Bree?" I asked.

"No, _Elbrii_. _E_, as in egg, and bree is actually correct," he explained. He motioned for me to lie on my stomach so that he could get a good look at the cut across my shoulders.

"_Elbrii,_" I whispered to myself as I rolled onto my stomach. "I should start calling Avi that considering half of them are Feavii or an Elf."

"Hmm," was Justuo's reply. I guessed he was looking at the damage. I hoped it wasn't too bad. I wasn't sure considering it was out of my sight.

"Is it bad?" I whispered.

"It'll need stitches," Justuo said with nonchalance, but he had easily avoided the question. I honestly could care less. With no conversation to keep my mental river of memory and pain dammed back, I was getting jittery and tears were stinging my already damp eyes.

"Where's Fai?" I couldn't help it. I had to know. I had to see him.

"Being taken care of," he said. "I'm sure he'll be okay." His voice was blank of emotion.

I knew that he knew who had been the one to injure him. He was `Justuo; for he read people by their magical resonance, not their appearance. He knew Lancer had been the one to get stabbed, right through the back, where I could see it. He knew Lightning was the one who had done it. It was the Sword of the Sanctuary that had done the damage, and it meant that Fai could only recover on his own.

"Stop thinking about it, Kairi," Justuo said. I clenched my teeth and buried my face into the pillow. "You want me to get somebody to heal this?"

I shook my head miserably. "It won't work. I've already had someone try."

"Have you?" I could hear Justuo's raised eyebrow in his question.

"A wound caused by the Sword of the Sanctuary can't be healed by magic," I replied, and Fai's gash blossomed into my mind. _It would have to heal on its own_. The words echoed through my head. "A dark entity such as the Sword of the Sanctuary makes dark wounds, and as long as its master wants their blood, it will find us until it tastes us again. Yomi, Fai, and I have all been wounded by the Sword of the Sanctuary. They all had to heal on their own."

"Where did you learn that from?" Justuo asked. I felt a cool rag dab alcohol onto my fairly fresh wound. I bit my cheek to keep from groaning. "And why do you keep calling him Fai?"

"During the battle, Lightning, or Elliot rather, told me," I said with a voice so languorous that I was surprised it was me talking. "And that's his real name."

"I see." I winced as Justuo continued to wipe at my wound. "Then I guess we will just have to defeat Elliot." His voice was gentle at this point, almost borderline sympathetic.

"What's going to happen to Tai?" I barely whispered, eyes squeezing shut. "He…he didn't look so good."

"Kairi," Justuo sighed. "Tai's gone." The silence that followed was filled with a ringing in my ears. I clenched my eyes shut as that unbearable feeling of losing someone, even if they weren't close to you, slowly began to consume me, building up on the cluster of emotions already raging inside me because I was so close to losing Fai, too.

"He's dead?" I barely whispered. A flash from outside lit up the room. I blinked, turning on my side to get a better look at Justuo. Thunder claps rumbled from outside, and I knew it had to be pouring now. The rain had only just begun when we arrived in Zephyr. Was my mind racing now? Scattering in every possible direction with shock. "Justuo?"

"I think it best she rest for now," I heard a new voice say. It wasn't until a small stick in my arm caught my attention did I recognize the voice as Fear's. But by then, my arm was numbing, my vision was dimming, and my limbs were relaxing.

"B-but, Fai," I barely whispered. I was already gone, though. The whole world was.

My body floated through the sea of numbness that had become my consciousness. The silence crashed around me while the waves of painless, emotionless emptiness drew back and forth. I was content here in the land of abyssal darkness.

Something small, however, kept tugging my mind away from the quiet luxury that was my conscience. Maybe it was the fact that everything was falling apart in the real world. I hadn't let it bother me just yet, nor had I allowed myself anytime to remember what exactly had happened to make me think the world was falling apart.

I wasn't ready to face losing someone. I was too young to realize just how naïve I had been the entire time I'd been living with Ash. His castle was a safe haven for me. Behind its walls, no death slunk around in the darkening night, waiting to strike its next victim. Death had never been able to touch me, even when we thought someone was going to die.

"Kairi," a voice said softly. It sounded like it was coming from so far away that I could barely make my name out. Was it death coming for me? "Kairi, come on."

And just like that, I felt as if I had been hoisted out a pool of water, the numbness now receding quickly. I gasped when I felt cool hands on my shoulder. With a swift assessment, I found I was lying on my stomach, and there was a thick, heavy feeling to the way my limbs moved. "Thank the Fates you're awake." My gaze found the owner of the voice. Mizu's face came into focus, slowly fading to focus from the blur of my vision. "Hey honey, how are you feeling?"

"Like shit," I said blatantly. I let my head fall back into the soft pillows. My neck was stiff with the lack of movement and my back felt tight and compressed. It took me a second to recognize the feeling of bandages and pain medication cutting off the pain I'm sure my back was in. "Ugh, how long have I been out?"

"A few hours," Mizu said evasively. Fai's face flashed behind my eyelids. They snapped open immediately as I pushed myself up off my stomach and into a kneeling position, turning around to get a better look at the entire infirmary. Several beds away, I saw him bandaged, eyes closed and form still. "Whoa, take it easy!"

"Fai," I whispered, twisting to the side of the bed and standing. The floor didn't seem steady when I stood, and my legs turned to jelly before I could even take a step. Mizu caught me by the arm, steadying me.

"Kairi, calm down." I moved past her, making my way to Fai as best I could. This close, I could see he was wrapped up pretty tightly around his chiseled abdomen, and the firm bandages were still pristine; the bleeding had stopped at least. The airy sound of oxygen filtering through the tubes in his nose did nothing more than unsettle me even more while continuous beeping that I had zoned out now caught my attention. _A steady pulse,_ I thought to myself._ Thank the Fates_. Next to the annoying monitor was some clear liquid that led a tube into Fai's arm. I could only assume that it was feeding him pain medication or some kind of fluid drip.

I slipped my hand around his, my chest tightening as I felt the coolness of his fingers. "Fai?" I whispered. I squeezed his hand gently. "Wake up now, okay? It's alright now."

"Kairi, he's been out ever since we brought him back from the battle," Mizu commented, putting a hand on my lower back to avoid from touching the bandaged wound resting on my shoulder blades. "Why don't you come lay back down?"

"No," I barely breathed. "I can't when he's like this because of me!"

"He's like this because Lightning attacked you and he stopped him," Mizu consoled. When I didn't say anything, she let out a sigh. "You should tell someone about Lightning. This guilt is going to eat you alive."

"I can't, not yet," I said. "I want to finish things with Lightning myself before I tell everyone everything that's happened." There was a tightness to my voice that I didn't notice until Mizu gave me a slightly critical look.

"When will that be? Next week? Next month? How long is it going to take you to realize this isn't going to work out for the best? That Lightning really is just a creepy Vampire that wants your blood?"

I turned on her swiftly, glaring with anger. "He was possessed by Elliot, it's not his fault that he hurt either of us. _I_ will finish this, not anyone else. And he doesn't just want my blood," I growled. Mizu flushed with frustration that I immediately could pick up on.

"Fine then," she snapped. "When you end up drained or turned, don't say I didn't warn you." She turned on her heal and started towards the exit of the infirmary. "At least lay down so you don't pass out on your feet." As soon as the door clicked behind her, doubt crept into my mind.

What if she was right? What if Lightning really _was_ using me? I shook my head as if to clear it. That couldn't be true. My legs wobbled a bit, and I realize Mizu was right about something: I did need to lie down. I looked at Fai's bed before deciding that there was enough room for the both of us. I crawled the onto bed, carefully curling into his side and keeping a still as possible just in case he could still feel pain. Maybe my warmth would help him more comfortable. Or maybe he couldn't feel anything at all because he was gone.

I squeezed my eyes shut, the thought sending a panicky flutter through me. No, I couldn't think things like that. Ever.

**And that's the chapter! What did everyone think? I know that cliffhanger was TONS of fun, and so I couldn't let you suffer for TOO long. Enjoy and leave me ideas! 3**


	68. Discovered

_**~Chapter Sixty-Seven: Discovered~**_

Yomi's Point of View

Negative plopped down on my couch, exhaustion written all over his face. Lines wrinkled his face from lack of sleep and worry for our friends' safety. Also, Tai's passing had to be taking its toll on him. I sat down beside him, examining him with careful eyes.

"You're hurt," I whispered, taking Negative's hand in mine. Several cuts adorned his cheek, forehead, and hands, but the blood had dried long ago. I squeezed his hand gently and pulled him to my bathroom.

"I'm fine, really Yomi," Negative murmured, but he sounded so weary I wanted to just cradle him in my arms. Instead, I took a wash cloth, dampened it, and began to dab at his cuts. With the infirmary so booked, there was no time for Negative to get his minor wounds taken care of. He watched me with warm eyes as I wiped the dirt, blood, and grime from his face before moving to his hands. I pushed back his messy white hair from his forehead checking for any more cuts that I may have missed.

I then led him back to the couch, easing him down and taking a seat close by. I took his hand, stroking the dark bruise and busted knuckles there. "Are you hurt any worse than this?" He met my gaze, holding it for several seconds before smiling weakly.

"No, you've seen the worst of it." I brushed his bangs from his forehead again, letting my hand linger on his cheek.

"My poor baby," I barely whispered. His eyes widened for just a moment before his small smile grew broader. My hand slipped behind his head, pulling him closer until our foreheads were touching. I let my eyes slip closed, feeling comforted by the fact that he was safe now. I lifted his hand, kissing his knuckles, and several other cuts on his hands. My eyes opened, meeting his red and green ones. I then moved to his cheek, kissing the red line that streaked his skin there, planting kisses to the bruises and blackened eye on the right side of his face. I paused, stroking his jaw with my thumb before finally kissing his busted lips, gently. "Did that make them feel better?"

"You always make me feel better, Yomi," Negative breathed. I smiled, pulling him closer and wrapping my arms around him in a warm embrace.

"You need some rest," I finally said, pulling back. He nodded, shifting to stand. "No, no, no," I quickly said, standing up. "You stay here. I'll get your pillows and blankets."

"You're certain?"

"Yes, doctor's orders," I replied sternly, but I couldn't help a smile. I rushed to my bed, pulling the softest pillow I could find and his favorite of my blankets from the mess of comforter. I fluffed the pillow and helped ease him down onto the couch before covering him. He gave me a grateful look. "Do you need anything?" Instead of replying, he motioned for me to lay with him. I climbed onto the couch, allowing him to wrap his arms around me.

"Just having you close is enough right now," I heard him mumble near my ear. I snuggled closer.

"Anything for you, my teddy bear."

Kiyo's Point of View

The silence that had followed Tai's funeral day was heavy on my ears. Not many people were willing to talk about it, and quite frankly I wasn't either. It was the day after the battle that the rain finally had ceased to fall, and it was then that Ash thought it was best to bury Tai. Kairi, Fai, and many of our friends from the Sanctuary were still in the infirmary at the time; it was hard not having my Guardian there when the tears started falling.

Now that the rain had finally stopped, Justuo convinced me to get out into the Gardens and train with fire magic to keep my mind off of the dark cloud that had settled over the castle. It did still look like it could rain, though, so we would glance up every once in a while to make sure we weren't going to be rained out of practice. He stood with me now, his presence ever comforting in the silent breeze. His pants were rolled up to his knees in that casual way he did sometimes when he was going to spar or when he was going to train. I had on sweat pants and a loose tank top, my hair pulled back from my face to keep from burning it in my wild attempts at better learning fire.

"Okay, same steps as last time. Center yourself, become one with your power and magic. Feel the fire warm your body. Ready?" he asked, as he took on a fighting stance, which was very contradicting because of the semi playful smile on his face.

I planted my feet firmly on the ground and closed my eyes. The first signs of my magic tickled inside me before power swirled around me as I took a couple deep breaths. The magical resonance flared around me, and I couldn't help but smile as Light filled my body. I opened my eyes and nodded at Justuo, who was staring at me. I'd have to ask him what I looked like when my power and magic was so free and immersed inside me.

Fire appeared in his hands. I took another deep breath and imagined a ball of fire forming in my right hand. I soon felt the familiar burning sensation of fire at my fingertips. A few seconds after that, a pathetic excuse for an intimidating orb of fire appeared there.

Justuo threw his fire at me and I was preparing to block and counter it when I saw Mizu in my peripheral vision, storming towards me. This moment of distraction was enough for the fire to land a blow on the top of my shirt and scorch the fabric and loose strands of hair that was there, burning my skin as well.

"Ow that burns!" I yelled as I fell backwards, landing on my butt in my ever so graceful ways. Justuo and Mizu reached me at the same time.

"I'm so sorry, Kiyo!" They both exclaimed at the same time. Mizu glanced at Justuo timidly. I winced, moving to heal my singed hair and skin. Justuo helped me up and hugged me, his own form of an apology. It didn't last long. They never did due to our past together.

"What is it, Mizu? I can sense there's something you have to tell me and its obviously not good news," I turned to face her, and I felt Justuo turn towards her more reluctantly.

"Okay. I've known this for a while now and I was told to keep it a secret from you. Everyone was. You're probably going to freak out…okay you're going to explode. And honestly, I'm really worried for Kairi, especially after this recent battle." She paused, her babbling stopping just long enough for her to take a deep breath. "Well, here it goes: Kairi and Lightning are together. Like together, together. They've been seeing each other for months now." I blinked, and time seemed to slow down immensely. I didn't notice she had taken few steps away from me until I finally focused in on her, letting this absurd idea sink in.

"Kairi and Lightning are…What? Hell no! Are you sure?!" I barely managed to say.

"Yes, she told me herself," Mizu said, crossing her arms in an almost uncomfortable way. "But I was really worried for her you know? With this past fight, we saw how brutal he can be."

"Are you fucking kidding me?! She is dead. And so is that little bloodsucking Elliot's pet leech! How long has this been going on?!" I screamed, but then her other words sank it. _I was told to keep it a secret from you. Everyone was_. "Wait a second. Who all knows about this?" Mizu gave me a look that told me all I needed to know. "Am I the only one that didn't know about this?!" My power swirled around me again, reacting to my anger, but this time, it wasn't all Light. I felt Justuo touch my shoulder, and I shook him off immediately. If there was one thing I couldn't stand, it was betrayal, especially from my own best friend. My own guardian.

"Kiyo, she loves him," Mizu reasoned. My Darkness flared, and I felt my anger rise.

"Love?! LOVE?! She knows nothing about love! And if she _does_ love that parasite then that makes her a traitor!" I yelled. My Darkness was beginning to really rise, snatching away at my control and feeding more and more off of the anger that was spinning so quickly out of my reach. But life always seemed to make things worse when they needed to get better, because right at that moment we all heard approaching footsteps.

"I got permission to leave the infirmary, but I could barely stand to leave Fai back there," Kairi said, voice quiet as she approached us. She froze when she saw Mizu, her face falling slightly more than it already had. "I didn't realize you were here. I'll head to my room, I just wanted to see Kiyo and tell her I was free." Mizu made frantic motions at her to turn around but Kairi always had this problem of being quite blind sometimes.

"How dare you!" I growled, stepping forward. "What is your problem?!" I started to charge her but Justuo caught me and held me back. "Let me go! SHE'S A TRAITOR! TRAITOR!" I yelled.

"What? What's going on? What are you talking about Kiyo?" Kairi asked as she finally reached us.

"Lightning!" I screamed, "That's what is going on!" Her face paled, but I didn't stop there. "You are a traitor! Sleeping with the enemy! What the hell is wrong with you?! You're my guardian! Ash's most loyal subject! And you're screwing around with Elliot's puppy?! I should have you executed! What is wrong with you?! Lighting is Midnight's fiancé! Did you know that?! You're a traitor! Go away! You don't belong here! And why would you not tell me?! Your best friend! Yomi, Yoru, Mizu, Yami, everyone but me! The person you can trust the most! I guess you've told him everything right?! Every plan, every weakness, everything! How could you? You heartless traitor!" I yelled till I was out of breath, until my throat hurt, until I had nothing else to yell because I didn't even realize I was repeating myself again and again. My darkness had almost full control now. Kairi was too dumfounded to speak, let alone explain anything.

"That's enough. I'm taking you somewhere to cool down. We'll be back, Kairi. She's just very mad and upset. Her darkness is taking over," Justuo said, throwing me over his shoulder.

"Let me go! Put me down right now! Traitor!" I called hoarsely as Justuo carried me away from Kairi and Mizu.

Justuo's Point of View

As Kiyo exploded on Kairi, I knew she had hit Kairi with several devastatingly low blows. I also knew stepping in was the right thing to do; the news of Kairi and Lightning had brought out Kiyo's Dark side. I carried her as she continued to shout angrily. Once we were far away from Mizu and Kairi, I sat her down on one of the benches and put my hands on her shoulders.

Anger flared in her eyes as I kneeled down to her level. "Kiyo calm down, babe." Kiyo's Darkness teased my own, but I held back. She stomped her foot angrily and tried to jerk out of my strong grip on her shoulders.

"Kairi lied to me!" she snapped

"Calm, Kiyo, calm," I murmured. Her teeth ground together. I pulled the precious Phoenix that I loved so much to my chest and wrapped her in my arms. Kiyo tensed, and then became calmer. She slumped and tears the came. Her small form shook as she allowed herself to cry. My heart wrenched, and I couldn't help but hold her tighter. "Kiyo, it's okay," I told her, wishing I could make her quit crying.

"First Tai, and now Kairi's messing around with Lightning…" she cried. "How long has she been lying?!" Anger mixed with her hurt.

"I don't know, Kiyo. I'm sure she wanted to tell you but was just scared of your reaction," I whispered as I gently stroked her hair. I knew the that that was the truth, but right now, Kiyo didn't need to know that I also knew of Kairi's relationship with the bloodsucker. As I thought she would, I felt her relax against me as the tears started to slow.

"She's a traitor, Justuo. She committed treason. The punishment for that is death and even if she does get to live, how can we trust her? She betrayed me, her king, and her kingdom. There is no forgiveness for that. Or easy forgiveness at the least," Kiyo murmured into my shoulder. Her tears had stopped by now, and I was shocked she was still letting me hold her. I hadn't realized how much I missed her until now. I missed Kairi, too, of course but not in the same way I missed my Kiyo. I mentally scolded myself for calling her mine. I had lost the privilege to call her that quite a while ago. I thought of a happier time when we were together in the Human World. We had both been so happy together, but I ruined it with some stupid mistakes.

Kiyo had been my Light and still was. She was the bright Light in my world of Dark. I would always love her and I secretly hoped there would always be a part of her that loved me as well. When she disappeared from the Human World, I had been so desperate to find her and her friends and now that I had, I never planned to lose her again. Even if it meant I was doomed to be just her friend for the rest of eternity and serve her and her husband.

Kiyo's voice broke my train of thought.

"I know what you're thinking about. No, I'm not in your head but I know you and how you think. You'll always have a special place in my heart, just know that," she whispered, and I felt her arms wrap around me. I was filled with a warmth I hadn't felt since our almost kiss in Feywood, and I knew what she had said would be imprinted in my memory until she was mine again. I held her fragile body close to mine and breathed in her sweet scent. Then I let her go like I had had to do so many times before.

"I need to tell Ash about Kairi and Lightning. Will you come and tell him and me what you know, too?" Her voice was gentle again but I could feel anger and sadness wallowing inside her.

I put on a playful smile in hopes of cheering her up a little bit. "Of course, my lady," I said mockingly while I stood up, pulling her with me. She hit me playfully and started to babble about how I shouldn't call her that. But when I looked into her eyes I could see darker turmoil boiling inside her, and I wished I could just runaway with her and never see that in her eyes again. I quickly shook that thought from my mind and followed her back to the castle.

Ash's Point of View

I was sitting in a chair reading in the library when I felt Kiyo's presence coming. I quickly stood as I saw her approaching and walked to meet her.

"My dear sweet love, I've been waiting for you. Where have you been?" When I reached her and took her hand I felt anger and Darkness growing inside her. I was about to ask her what was the matter when I heard footsteps approaching from behind her. I looked over her shoulder and saw that Justuo had followed her, concern written on his face. The only person I've ever seen him have concern for was my Kiyo, so I immediately knew something was wrong.

"What's wrong?" I asked Kiyo. I saw anger flash in her eyes, and my worry grew.

"Kairi is what's wrong. She's a traitor, Ash. A Traitor!" Her voice shook with fury, and I felt that Darkness from before growing within her. By now, Justuo had reached us. He nodded to me and stood beside Kiyo, close enough to be able to grab her within a second's notice. I noted all this within a second.

"What are you talking about, dear? Kairi would never betray us," I said carefully, pulling her towards a couch so she could sit down. Justuo followed.

"She's with Lightning! Elliot's Lightning! They're together, Ash!" She suddenly jumped up screaming loudly. I felt her raw anger and sadness in those words. I stood, taking her hand in mine to keep her from furiously pacing the floor.

"Guardian Kairi has betrayed us." I said it as a statement instead of a question because I knew it was the truth. I could feel Justuo's eyes watching me and I knew he was concerned for both Kairi and Kiyo. I took a deep breath to keep my face blank.

"Tell me what happened, dear." I sat back down on the couch and pulled Kiyo against my chest because I knew her anger had vanished for the moment. Hurt and confusion took its place. So, Kiyo told me how she found out.

"Ash…what are we going to do? Why would Kairi do this…? Now she has to die…" Kiyo whispered as tears started to slip from her eyes. I held her tighter and kissed the top of her head.

"Shh love…Shh. I'll take care of it. Don't worry. Kairi loves you, dear." I soothed. Justuo had remained silent this whole time.

"What are you thinking, Justuo?" I asked looking up at him. Kiyo looked up as well.

"You're being kind of harsh, don't you think?" Justuo said. I could feel his resentment for me welling up inside him, and he disagreed with the idea of killing Kairi very greatly. I didn't blame him.

"What would you have us do? She is a traitor. Do you to understand how wrong and hurtful that is?" I added the last part out of spite. I knew I had struck a nerve.

"Isn't she Kiyo's Guardian? I've been training her for that kind of job, anyway," Justuo snapped.

"Knock it off both of you," Kiyo said. "You both are being ridiculous. This is about Kairi and Lightning, not trying to outdo each other." She slumped down on the couch and looked like she was trying her best not to cry. "I'm going to my room for a while. You two can stay and sort this out if you want, but I've had just enough for one day. We'll decide what to do tomorrow, Ash." Kiyo said standing. She pecked me on the cheek and gave Justuo a quick hug. Then she headed to the door, calling over her shoulder, "See you both later."

"She's really upset," Justuo said after Kiyo was out of sight. He turned back to look at me.

"Yes, she is," I agreed. With that, Justuo left the way he and Kiyo had come in.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, sighing with deep frustration. "Jack," I said. The servant boy had been watching the entire exchange from the corner of the room. I collapsed on the throne just as he stood. He didn't hesitate to come to my side, bowing when he reached it.

"Yes, my lord?" he asked.

"Can you retrieve the Inner Circle for me, please. Tell them it's urgent."

"Of course," Jack replied, bowing yet again. He left without another word. It was time to tell them the truth.

Kiyo's Point of View

After I was out of Ash and Justuo's sight, I leaned against a castle wall and closed my eyes. I took a deep breath and felt a single tear slide down my cheek. Quickly, I wiped it away and slid down the wall into a sitting position. I hugged my knees to my chest and laid my head on top of them. God, I felt awful. I always felt horrible after my Darkness flared up. I felt as though I couldn't breathe, and my stomach churned unnaturally, almost as if it was going to be sick. One thought kept passing through my mind through the remaining Darkness; _how could Kairi do this? _ The betrayal I felt was like a sharp pain in my chest. I felt another tear slip down my face, and I wiped it away quickly.

A raindrop landed on my hand, and I knew more were to come, but I didn't really care. I was sitting against the back wall of the library; no one would be walking this way anytime soon. I felt another raindrop, then another, soon enough it was pouring down rain. Something else had been bothering me for a while now, too…My feelings for Justuo. I knew a part of me still loved him a lot, but it wasn't supposed to really stick out whenever he was around. It definitely was not supposed to make me want to act on that love. Whenever he was around, I found myself smiling and feeling very comfortable and safe. Ash was my soul-mate, and I loved him a lot, but Justuo had been there for me more in this life. Whenever I needed him, he was there before I could even ask. I quickly shook the thoughts from my head. I needed to pull it together. He had moved on and probably didn't sit around upset and reminiscent about our past relationship, which was good. He deserved to be happy and find someone who wasn't the queen, someone who didn't have a soul-mate.

I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't hear approaching footsteps. I felt a hand land on my shoulder and I jumped three feet in the air, swallowing a scream. I looked up and saw Justuo standing over me, looking at me with concerned eyes.

"Oh my gosh, you scared the crap out of me!" I gasped, trying to slow my heart. He sat down in front of me and I slumped back against the wall and quickly wiped my eyes in case any tears had slipped through.

"I came to apologize for getting so heated in there. I hadn't meant to upset you. It's just I get so," Justuo paused as if pondering whether to continue or not. When he didn't finish I decided to fill the silence.

"It's okay! No big deal. You were just concerned for Kairi's wellbeing," I said, shrugging. I felt him shake his head, a small grin on his face.

"I was concerned for Kairi _and_ you, you silly goose," he chuckled. I felt myself smile at him calling me a silly goose. We used to jokingly banter back and forth like that when we were together in the Human World.

"I'm not a silly goose!" I said it out of habit, not really realizing I had said it.

"My silly goose," he said looking into my eyes. I felt a blush spread across my cheeks and I looked away. I quickly stood realizing he _had_ mgeant to say that.

"I should probably get out of this rain," I said quickly. He stood too, but instead of agreeing he came closer until our toes were touching. He was leaning over me now. His hand rested above me against the wall. My cheeks grew even redder. I felt his other hand slightly caress my cheek.

"I've missed your blush. I've missed making you blush." He cupped my face and leaned in closer. He was so close that I could smell his scent. It was a comforting smell. Like a forest after a spring rain shower. I wanted more of that smell to engulf me.

"I've missed your eyes, too." He was so close now that his lips were almost brushing mine. I felt my heart rate increase, and I realized I wanted him to kiss me. I wanted him to kiss me more than anything, more than ever before.

"I've missed kissing you," he whispered, almost like he read it straight from my mind. His eyes were full of love and desire. My heart was pounding in my chest. I felt a desire and wanting for him than I had had in a long time. The rain was pouring around us and my hands started to shake. I had never wanted to kiss someone so much in my life. It had been almost a year and a half since we'd seen each other before he found Kairi and me and it had been a lot longer than that since we had kissed.

He closed the distance between us and my eyes closed, half-expecting his lips to caress mine. To my surprise, his arms wrapped around my waist in a tight hug instead. I put my arms around his neck, enjoying the feeling of his warm body pressed against mine. My eyes fell closed. "I have missed you," he whispered in my ear; it sent chills down my spine heating me up at the same time. My body tingled with the touch of him against me, but we didn't move, we didn't try to change our position.

My breath was heavy, almost as though I had just ran miles. He finally pulled back. I opened my eyes to find him staring at me. He laid his forehead against mine and kissed my nose.

"I love you," I whispered, meaning to say it in my head. Then, I felt my eyes widen realizing I hadn't said it in my head.

Justuo's Point of View

_What was I doing?_ I thought to myself as I realized I was holding the King of the Paranormal World's soul-mate. We used to kiss and hug and flirt all the time before so much had happened, when we were still together in the Human World, but now it felt foreign.

_Dammit_, I thought as I knew I would pay for this later. My lapse in self-control was normal; I always based my actions around emotion and instinct, but giving in to something I wanted and taking advantage of my queen? That is too far. All of this passed my mind before I even touched her, I already knew I was going to do it; I was only worried she may reject me, push me away. It took so much self-control to not plant a kiss on her mouth then and there.

My arms closed around and memories flooded my mind. Her lips so soft no silks in all the worlds could even compare. Her touch so gentle that a lamb seemed rough. _When did I pull her closer? _But I had forgotten to care. I knew this may be my last time we'd be able to share so intimate a moment, so I wanted her to see that I loved her still, no matter the punishment handed down by Ash. My heart pounded harder in my chest, so hard that it was undeniable it was there. _Kiss her, kiss _her, blared through my mind. She always did this to me, made me feel weak. I liked it. I liked this feeling too much. Her body fit perfectly against mine, as though it were made for me to protect. Like I was her custom fitted armor she could hide in when things got too rough. _Kiss her!_ I mentally winced, slowly pulling away from the hug, too soon.

I gazed into her blue eyes, seeing into the depth of them, seeing her soul. It's a Feavii belief that a person's eyes are the only true window to their inner self, who they really are, is reflected in their eyes unlike any other part of the body. I believed this here, when I gazed into her eyes, more than I ever did any time else. I could see her soul; it was beautiful. Her eyes always extinguished my Darkness, as though they poured some majestic warm Light through my eyes and into the pit of void that I prefer to think is my soul. She stilled loved me; I could see it. In her eyes, in the way she held me, in the way she looked at me. But I knew better than to say it aloud.

I pressed my forehead against hers and kissed her nose, a little gesture for one another we had in the Human World. That would be my "I love you." Then I heard her vocal cords shift in her throat, and she readied a breath to say something. I was honestly terrified by what it might be, but my ears blocked all else out. I heard her say, "I love you." I pulled away more and looked her in the eyes again, my head and body absorbing those words. She looked taken aback, as though she had surprised herself. I smiled a gentle smile. I tried my hardest not to smirk. She always made me so confident, and I wrote it off as cockiness to others. I knew the truth; Avalanche knew it too.

"I love you, too," the words came so naturally from my lips it was almost scary. "I love you so much sweetie, I would do anything for you." Anything here literally meant just that, which was why I had to do this. I had to follow my heart, because I knew what was right, and I knew what was best for her. Self-sacrifice was part of my role after all; I'd give myself to her for lifetimes. "But you know, my Kiyo, what must be done. I'm sorry sweetheart, but I must remain distant. I try to let you know I'm there all the time, and as much as I want to be with you again, we both know I can't." I said. It took all my discipline to bring myself to admit it. I already knew it in my heart, as did she. "I will do anything for you, protect, and serve you. I'm staying free of allegiance so I can still be yours in my head. I will serve no one, besides you." I knew it was true. It was my responsibility, my duty, to always be there for her. She had Ash and Kairi and all of her friends, but none of them could ever love her the way I could. I say that with confidence because I knew none of them could make the sacrifice I did. To sit idly by and watch the woman you love move on and go through hardships but not confide in you more than her king. I knew it was right, but damn, it didn't make it any less painful.

My mood lifted, knowing she truly loved me. I stepped back slightly, and gave her a confident grin, almost mischievous, Feavii mischievous. I looked her up and down and said, "But guess what your highness?" Taking a knee in front of her and bowing, simply because I knew she would hate it. I always poke at her buttons, not quite pushing them enough to piss her off, but just enough to let her know I loved her, but this was how it had to be. I found it amusing when Ash saw through my ruse.

"What?" she said in a kind of annoyed voice and she looked toward the sky and rolled her eyes at me. That's what I was looking for anyway, to know she was really okay after our words and kiss.

I never wanted to hurt her. I stood and with a confident grin leaned in close and said, "In your world of royalty and love, I'll always make sure I'm that little spark of Darkness and Fire added to your life, okay? To add a little spice!" I stood up and I pecked her on the cheek before stepping back still holding her cheek in my palm. I gave her my most serious look. "_Nii neia davhana, Nii neia davhana siervi_," I said this knowing she didn't know Feadic, but I knew she would know it by the look on my face. She knew I had said, "I love you, I love you always."

Kiyo seemed a bit crippled by the words, but I offered her one of my famous cocky smiles that she loved, in turn, making her smile. I knew she would be okay, as long as I could protect her. I would do everything in my power.

I let my hand fall to my side, and put an arm around her to pull her inside out of the rain.

Ash's Point of View

The outraged faces of the Inner Circle members faded to the back of my mind. The orders I gave were soon forgotten. The rain that poured down didn't bother me as I watched in a numb silence; Kiyo and Justuo kissing. The scene made my stomach twist as I remembered the months that I thought I was going to lose her to him. I watched in repressed anger. Her happiness was all that mattered to me.

Knowing that Kairi was a traitor had caused uproar in her. Her Darkness had shown its ugly head when she had found out about it. I wasn't as surprised as most people would have assumed. My little sister, Kairi, and one of my most loyal Guardians had fallen in love with the Vampire that was under the ranks of Elliot, my sworn enemy. As for why she would lie about it…that was still a mystery to me. I believe that is why it had angered Kiyo so much. If she had told the truth, it wouldn't have even been so terrible. We could've taken care of it right from the start, but she didn't know what to do. I couldn't blame her too much.

So of course, Kiyo would be upset. But I didn't think she'd be upset enough to nearly kiss Justuo. My first instinct was to punch him in the face, hopefully break his jaw. But I held my stance, and refused to move. My fangs had showed themselves. I watched the almost-kiss turn into a hug, and to my relief, that's all it was. When they finally pulled away, I could hear them speaking over the rain. She had whispered the words that she said to me on a daily basis. The puncture to my heart was deep, but I refused to allow it to move me. Instead I watched longer.

"I love you too. I love you so much sweetie, I would do anything for you." Justuo paused for a while as if what he was going to say next was hard. "But you know, my Kiyo, what must be done. I'm sorry sweetheart but I must remain distant. I try to let you know I'm there all the time, and as much as I want to be with you again, we both know I can't." The words that escaped his mouth surprised me as they slowly sank in. I felt a bit of triumph in my heart, though it wasn't the dominant emotion I felt. I also felt a very small amount of respect for the Feavii that meant so much to my Kiyo; after all, he _had_ refrained himself.

"I will do anything for you, protect, and serve you. I'm staying free of allegiance so I can still be yours in my head. I will serve no one, besides you," Justuo continued. In that instant, I knew with everything in my soul that I could trust Justuo with my dearest love. He would truly do anything for her, and I took comfort in that. "But guess what, your highness?" I glanced back at them and saw that he had gotten on his knee in a formal bow. Kiyo rolled her eyes and looked up at the sky, unable to hide her grin.

"What?" Kiyo's voice had become playful and joking, though I felt her extreme emotions through our bond. At least for now she was distracted from them, and their control over her.

"In your world of royalty and love, I'll always make sure I'm that little spark of Darkness and Fire added to your life, okay? To add a little spice!" Justuo said, cockily. He stood up then, and his face became very serious. Then he began speaking in Feadic. The translation was, "I love you; I love you always."

I watched him put his arm around her shoulders, obviously in a movement that said that she needed to get out of the rain. He looked over, and I saw that he realized I had been standing here the whole time. I turned my back and made my way for the closest entrance to my castle, wishing for some tea and a warm shower. Kiyo would tell me if it was what she wished. Otherwise, I wouldn't address the issue. I knew Justuo wouldn't tell her I'd been standing there, either. It was best for her to tell me on her own, if she truly wanted to be truthful and tell me in the first place. I had faith in Kiyo; she would tell me. When she was ready.

Kairi was more than likely already in the dungeon. I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose in hope to wane the headache that was slowly building up. That would be whole other issue to take care of.

Trace's Point of View

I swiftly moved down the hall, brushing past any of the remaining soldiers that may have happened to make it back from the slaughter we had just endured a few days before; the infirmary was too filled to fit them all. Lightning had been summoned to Elliot's throne just this morning, and I had to make sure everything stayed on track, had to make sure nothing fell through the cracks. I stopped at the throne room entrance; Even stood several feet away from the king's chamber doors. He was propped against the wall, hands shoved in his pockets nonchalantly, face smirking in that condescending way he often regarded everyone with.

"The kid's falling apart. You may want to clean up the mess his majesty leaves," he snickered.

I glared at him. "Shouldn't you be somewhere else? You have an interrogation to be taking care of," I snapped. I wondered idly if Ash had even noticed the missing member of his Inner Circle. Not likely considering he had been sent to scour the remnants of the battlefield _after_ the Wizard's funeral the other day. He'd only just start being missed today.

A cry of anguish caught my attention from inside the throne room. Even chuckled. "You know, I remember that now. A shame I won't be there to witness _that_ one." He faked a yawn and said, "It's boring when you're the one having to watch the torture instead of doing it." With a final look my way, he strut past me, making his way through the halls and towards the dungeon where I knew he'd slink away and find a sick pleasure in torturing our captive.

"You didn't kill her!" Elliot's raging voice bellowed through the crack in the doors.

"Master, forgive me for my failure to comply," Lightning whimpered. I forced a deep breath and blank face before opening the doors and walking in. Elliot was on the edge of his throne, anger clearly written in his rigid posture. Lightning was hunched over himself, cradling his chest as if he held a baby there. "She had friends."

"Feavii friends that could so easily be down with the venom you carry!" It wasn't really Lightning's fault considering Elliot had practically controlled him entirely throughout the battle. I didn't voice this; I wasn't stupid nor did I have a death wish at the time.

"You're right, of course, I should have bitten the Feavii boy immediately," Lightning murmured.

"And you nearly had her when you were feeding from her! You could have easily sated you thirst and finished her off."

"I'm sorry I let my guard down, Master. It will never happen again," Lightning groveled. It made me sick, this pathetic begging. Lightning was no pushover, yet here he was, bowing and crumpled at Elliot's feet, asking, no _praying_ for forgiveness. I felt disgusted, but I couldn't show this, either.

"And what if she has _friends_ next time?!" Elliot's emphasis of friends queued a scream from Lightning's already hoarse throat as he began to writhe on the ground in agony.

"I'll kill them, I swear it, I'll kill them!" he cried.

"And if Kairi is within your grasp again?" Elliot pushed, and Lightning's screams grew even louder.

"SHE WILL DIE!" A moment passed before he stilled, but his breathing was ragged, his form still twitching every so often.

"Good," Elliot snarled. "Now get out of my sight." Lightning didn't seem to be able to move. He merely lay there for several more minutes, waiting to catch his breath and regain his strength. "Trace, get him out of here."

"Of course, my lord," I replied, kneeling and bowing my head. I lifted Lightning's limp and scampering body with ease, hauling him out of the throne room and straight to the infirmary. "Take care of him." I snapped, hoping to come across as cold. It wasn't too hard because I _was_ cold, cold with fury. I'd never been so angry by something Master Elliot did. It was strange, too, because usually this kind of thing didn't bother me, not in the least. I knew he was strict, and he did this kind of thing all the time. But something really burned inside me when I thought about the Lightning incident.

Maybe Kairi was starting rub off on me. What a Fates-awful thing consider.

Even's Point of View

The darkness around me in the dungeon was just as familiar as it was comforting. The sweet smell of blood and fear mixed enticed at the Darkness within me, and I wanted to see carnage. I'd been working to get information out of our dear little traitor for a whole twenty-four hours now, but he still refused to talk. Maybe with a little more incentive, he'd be a bit more open today. I rounded the corner to find him right where I left him: chained to the wall, drooping limply. He was just far enough from the ground to not be able to touch, and I'm sure the silver handcuffs that help him hoisted up were really burning and cutting into the flesh by now.

At the sound of my approach, he lifted his head, looking at me through glassy eyes that had been glazed over with pain for several hours now. His bare chest and dirty face were lined with gashes and cuts, bruises and deep scratches. He let his head fall, slumping in weakness because all his strength had finally faded away.

"Thunder, Thunder, Thunder," I chuckled, barely resisting the urged to further wound him immediately. He didn't even make a noise of recognition. "Cat's still got you tongue oh?" He coughed slightly but still no words escaped his mouth. "You don't look so good." Thunder refused even then to speak, which was really starting to piss me off. "That's okay, though. Your brother didn't look very good last I saw him either." He met my gaze as evenly as he could.

"What have you done with him?" His voice was rough and cracked as he spoke quietly.

"It's my pleasure to inform you that your brother is facing my master's wrath at the moment," I chuckled. Thunder's jaw clenched before he looked down to the floor. "And I'm sure your family will be next to face his wrath. So many disobedient members. So many _black sheep_."

"They've done nothing," he snarled. "Leave them out of this."

"Oh I see." I pointed at him almost playfully. "Your weakness is your family. I should have seen that sooner." I stepped forward grabbing his jaw and forcing him to look at me. He growled, wincing in pain as I raised his head. His eyes flicked to meet mine. "Maybe if you can make up for the lack of information your brother gave, then your family can be spared?"

"Go to hell," Thunder spat. "You'll never get your answers from me."

"That's a shame," I sighed, but my amused smirk remained. "Guess we'll just have to see what happens to that poor family of yours." He glared, and I couldn't help the smile that grew more. I tug my nails into the skin of his shoulder, piercing the flesh there and feeling the blood leak out. He made a grunt of pain. I then pressed my free hand to the side of his head before forcing myself past the barrier that protected his mind.

It was easy, especially now that he was so exhausted. There in the midst of his mind's eye, I played the false memory of his family's suffering. I felt him tense beneath me, his anger slowly starting to turn to panic. His mother's sobs echoed through his mind as images of her shielding the little sister with her own body.

"Stop," Thunder growled.

"Talk," I whispered in his ear. "Tell me what you know of Ash and his plans and I'll spare them." He quivered beneath my hands, an inner struggle raging within himself. His mother was finally pried from the little girl, bound in Darkness several feet away. The cries of the little girl swirled around in his mind.

"Haruka!" Thunder shouted, jerking back in an attempt to escape my grasp. I dug my fingernails deeper into his shoulder, so far that my fingertips entered the wound. His breath caught in pain just as the screams inside his mind began. Elliot lifted the girl up by her arm, pulling her from the ground. She cried out.

_You want your big brothers, don't you? You want them to come save you?_ The little girl didn't say anything as the tears ran down her face. _Maybe if we give them a reason to come, they will show up_. As if he were snapping a twig, the falsified memory of Elliot snapped the girl's arm in half at her elbow, breaking the joint and bone there.

Thunder's screams echoed that of his little sister's. "Leave her alone, please just leave her alone!" he begged, struggling against the burning chains and my tight grip. I couldn't help the laugh that trickled from my mouth.

"You poor child," I sighed loftily. I released him from my memories, ripping my hand from the newest wound. The warmth of the blood on my fingers enticed me to further harm him. "It's going to be a long night for you."

**It took way to long for this chapter. It was already written and everything, but because it was written when I was writing chapter 32, there were quite a few extensive edits and issues with conflict. Not to mention that I wasn't the one that even wrote the main pieces of this chapter…Either way! Hope you enjoyed it! Leave me some ideas and opinions! The next will be up as soon as I write the last bit of it (then again, this was supposed to be up almost immediately after the last one… )**

**~Kairi Fatewin**


	69. Consequences

_**Chapter Sixty-Eight: Consequences**_

Kairi's Point of View

_Little traitor bitch_, Raj's voice echoed through my mind's ears. The shoving, the tripping, the crying all seemed to be fading to grey. The memory of what had just happened slowly receded to the back of my mind as the quiet numbness slowly seeped through my pores and into my mind and body. This room was cold compared to my room. The stone walls around me seemed to press farther in, and for the first time in my life, I knew what claustrophobia felt like. The iron bench's coldness leaked through my jeans and skin, chilling me to the bone. The fresh, warm tears on my face always cooled and dried too quickly.

My shoulders were bare and chilled having been so used to my long hair that had been sliced off when Lightning cut my back. My now short hair (if you could really call it short; it was to my shoulder blades) stuck to my face, pink strays that I was constantly pushing behind my ears. I couldn't distract myself without slipping into someone else's mind. Fai was out of the question. He was still in the infirmary, unconscious. Kiyo had me completely blocked. It made me feel so cold and distant that I'd almost prefer her outrage than her silence. Yomi was off limits, too, and I knew it was under Ash's command that it be done that way. More than likely, Mpopyya was being questioned extensively now.

Trace was the only one left to go to. In the long agonizing minutes that seemed to be hours, that probably _were_ hours, I found comfort in talking to him, even if he was snide sometimes. I didn't care. Even the mindless chatter was better than quiet silence.

_They can only keep you down there for so long, right?_ Trace said with optimism.

"I'm so lonely," I said aloud, to chase away the heavy silence and ringing in my ears.

_I'm right here_, Trace replied critically. _Unless they plan on starving you to death, you'll be fed._

I felt my stomach roll at the mere mention of food. I didn't think that I'd be able to keep it down if they brought me food.

"I couldn't eat anyway," I voiced. "But the company, the mere presence of someone near me, would be great." Trace didn't say anything for a little while.

_You're Kiyo's Guardian. It's not exactly easy to just throw you around in the dungeon. I'm sure that whatever happens, it won't be so harsh. I mean, damn, Kairi. Ash?_ Trace paused, and I could see his mental look of criticism. _Elliot is much worse. He nearly killed Lightning, but he's still around, right? If Elliot spared his pawn, then I'm sure Ash will spare his little sister. Stop being a baby about it._ I only barely winced at his remark. _I have to go_, he said suddenly. Alarm snapped me from my numb state. Panic gripped me as I felt him withdraw from my mind.

"Wait!" I begged, but he was already gone. "Trace…" My voice was a whimper. I brought my knees to my chest, forcing deep breaths in through my nose and out through my mouth. I forced myself to calm down, slowly erasing the shoots of panic running through me.

_Kairi, I will not let them harm you,_ Kuroyasha growled in my mind.

_I'll be fine,_ I whispered. Fire sprang to life near me, and I immediately felt its warmth. The flames were red, softly illuminating the cool, stone cell that barred me in. It was such a comforting relief that I was weak with emotion. I moved the fire closer to me. "If anyone has ever had my back this whole time, it was you and my fire, Kuroyasha," I whispered. It wasn't a weak whisper, though. It was confident.

_Misula is on your side_, Kuroyasha said softly. _She says that if she were you, she wouldn't worry about a thing. Your friends will come through._

I didn't say anything. Instead I crossed my legs, closed my eyes, and regulated my breathing. I felt myself slip into an easy meditation, focusing on the simple things like my breath as it left my lungs and the warm fire floating near me. The soft brush of my hair and the touch of my clothes on my skin. My emotions were blank, and I knew that I had made them that way.

I was in control of myself.

Ash's Point of View

I burst through the door and into the throne room. Raj was the first to follow me. The rest of the inner circle flowed through the door, filling the room with chatter and arguing. Mpopyya was a little slower to follow. Kiyo wasn't among them, and I knew she was changing her clothes. They must've been soaked from the downpour now raging outside. My hair dripped wet with rain water, and my clothes did the same. Unlike her, I hadn't had the time to change. No one questioned my appearance.

"That damn brat sure has done it now," Raj snapped.

"She didn't tell him anything!" Mizu yelled, coming from the rear of the crowd of Inner Circle members.

"How do you know that?" Raj asked darkly.

"She's my _sister_," Mizu said, getting closer into his personal space. Tension knitted between the two.

"Kairi would never betray our secrets," Clover spoke up, moving between them. Her eyes were still red from mourning her brother's death.

"She never did," Yoru said, stepping farther into the crowd. She was doing a good job at hiding her anger. "Ask Kiyomi. She has a mind connection with her."

"What does that prove?" Night Rider asked.

"She never told him anything about the war," Yomi called.

"He could have compelled her for information," Fear offered. "And it's just as easy to compel one to forget."

"Go through her mind," Nightmare said.

"No!" Yami growled with venom in her words; her were eyes staring daggers through him. "She's Kiyo's Guardian; _our_ Guardian."

"Guardians can be replaced," Raj challenged. "Kill her before she gives more of our secrets to the enemy."

"Over my dead body!" Skye snarled, getting inches from his face. His fangs were bared in moments.

"And mine!" Mizu and Yami said in unison. Raj shoved Skye back, making him stumble slightly.

"Watch it, Fateless," Raj threatened. My last nerve exploded, then.

"Silence!" My voice boomed through the room like a clap of thunder. "If we cannot be one in our own home, how can we ever possibly be one in battle?!" Complete and utter silence fell in the wake of my voice. Several members of my inner circle crossed their arms, and some even bowed their heads in understanding.

As if on cue, Avalanche came into the room, then. "Sorry we're late," Aki said with a voice so solemn it would depress anyone's mood. Justuo was at the head of the group; his clothes were also drenched.

"Where's Kiyo?" I asked very calmly, but my emotions were truly havoc by now.

"She's in your room. She said she'd be along soon," Justuo replied evenly.

"I see," was all I said to him. It had been several hours since Kairi had been thrown in the dungeon. It was time to make a decision. Everyone watched me expectantly, something I had grown used to over the many years.

"The way I see it, we can do one of several things," I began. "We can kill her and Lightning." Several gasps and even a growl ensued the crowd, but no one spoke. "We can banish her from the kingdom." The tension in the air trembled, and I could see the aura's of my allies flaring and fluctuating. "She can serve dungeon time. Or she can go free." I held my hand up to keep the cacophony uproar at bay for a while longer.

Justuo spoke anyway.

"If I could make a suggestion?" he offered. All eyes turned to him,

"Sure," I sighed.

"Allow Avalanche to interrogate Kairi as well as Lightning." I raised an eyebrow, finding several pros and cons with the suggestion. Avalanche was the best with interrogation but also with torture. I knew they cared enough for Kairi to not harm her permanently. They'd more than likely turn it into a lesson or form of punishment for her. Not only that, but what other choice did we have? Without knowing the true extent of the damage done, the Inner Circle would prefer death or exile, depending on the person. Avalanche would be doing this as an act of mercy more than anything. If they found the truth, a true judgment could be made. Even I didn't know whether Kairi had spilled her heart out to the boy. It was pure faith in her that held me where I stood. But Kairi wasn't very forgiving, and after Avalanche had their way with her in the interrogation room, she would not think very highly of them. She'd also never understand the true extent of their care for her, not until she was older and wiser. I resisted the urge to bite my lip as Raj and the rest debated.

"Here's a question," Raj said coldly. "How do we get our hands on Lightning?"

"We use Kairi," Hana said simply. There was a long silence before anyone spoke.

"That's really fucked up," Mizu said critically.

"So we set a trap for Lightning? How do we lure him in?" Raj continued as if Mizu hadn't spoken. Sensing her irritation, Skye took her hand in his to offer her comfort.

"How do you think they saw one another?" Justuo asked.

"He came here," Serein continued, but she didn't seem as angry as Aki and Justuo or some of the other members of Avalanche. "They met in the gardens."

"Kairi has said so herself," Akira added gruffly. "We can bait him in."

"Kairi can wait for him to meet her in the Gardens, and when he does, we'll get him then," Prompto finished. I watched them carefully, noting Fayt had said nothing. His face portrayed no emotions; his eyes were distant.

"The choice is yours, of course," Justuo said after the long silence. "Avalanche is very willing to help."

"Based upon what we find, you can decide upon their Fate," Aki added.

_The pros list is higher than the cons list_, I thought to myself. _Besides, it would teach her a lesson._ I sighed nearly silently, deciding the best course of action in my opinion.

"We can arrange this," I finally said. The Fates weren't ready to condemn Kairi quite yet. "When can you do it?" A rush of apprehension hit me. I did not want any harm to befall Kairi. She was my little sister, Kiyo's true Guardian through all the lives.

"Today, if that's alright," Justuo said.

"So help me god, if you harm her in any way," Yomi said through clenched teeth, and I was startled that Yomi had said her lord's name in vain. "I will do everything in my power to harm you tenfold, to the point of no return."

"You might hurt yourself, Leech," Aki replied coldly.

"I'll help her," Mizu said, pushing her way back to Yomi. Yami followed quickly behind her. Yoru, more slowly, was the last to get to them. She stepped past Yomi, Mizu, and Yami, stepping right into Justuo's face. Avalanche tensed, but did not act.

"I have no problem with you," she began quietly, and I knew I could hear her because of my enhanced hearing. "I actually consider you a friend. But Kairi has been my best friend for seven years and my Guardian for four of them. If you and your friends harm her, it will be war."

"She means something to us, too." It was Fayt, who had been silent this whole time that spoke. "You do not think we're upset that Kairi's life is on the line? She's our _devinia_. We aren't heartless beings." Serein placed a hand on his shoulder for what I guessed was comfort and strength. "The reason we volunteered was because we trust ourselves more than we trust anyone else to handle Kairi. We care for her enough to not hurt her, and because of that care, we would rather her suffer through us than through exile or death."

"Then we _are_ on the same page," Yoru said with a humorless smile. She walked past Avalanche and out of the throne room completely. Yomi followed after her, pausing to turn me.

"I'm sorry, Ashu-Niisama," she said softly before leaving. Yami and Mizu didn't hesitate to follow. Fayt, having composed himself, met my gaze.

"You have my permission to interrogate her. Do what you have to do. Then we will decide Kairi's fate," I said calmly.

Rath came to my side, placing a hand on my arm. "I will make sure it gets done, and the truth will be known," Justuo said.

"I need my wall," I said languorously. Rath pulled me from the crowd of Inner Circle members that had given no objection to my decisions.

"My Lord, it'll be okay," Rath said lightly. "You know Kairi wouldn't betray us intentionally.

"I know," I said wearily. "I do."

Kairi's Point of View

Somewhere between consciousness and sleep, I still felt the warmth of fire, but it was getting colder. I wanted to be fully swept away in dreams before my fire and the bits of straw I'd found in my cell died.

All hope for that died when I heard the dungeon door creaking. A whole new hope filled me as I heard steps drawing closer. My eyes snapped open, and I was on my feet before I was even fully conscious. Justuo was the first to come into my line of vision. His face wasn't remorseful. I didn't care that a cloud of anger coursed the air as he approached. It was like he was another person, and he wasn't turning away.

"Justuo," I whispered, and I was scarily close to tears. Akira was the next person to come into my line of vision. He was a stark comparison to Justuo, and his presence was very dominant. It intimidated me.

"This isn't the time for tears, Fatewin," Akira said. His hard tone was like ice in my stomach.

"What have you come for?" I asked, and my voice was practically unrecognizable even to my own ears.

"We need a little persuasion, a little incentive for Lightning to come to the castle," Akira said. I heard my heart begin to hammer in my chest. The rest of Avalanche and Raj came from behind the two, filing into the room like a bunch of deadly-looking, battle ready soldiers. Fayt's eyes watched me, seemingly less angry than the others.

"What the hell does that mean?" I demanded through clenched teeth. Raj unlocked the barred door to my cell and grabbed my wrist.

"We're taking you to the Gardens in hopes that Lightning will show up," Justuo explained.

"Get off of me now," I growled at Raj. Fire flared at my free hand's finger tips, brilliantly red as always.

"Watch your tongue, traitor," Raj snarled.

"I'm not going to let you use me as your pawn to get Lightning," I snapped towards him.

"You have two options," Prompto said, voice harder than his usual cheeriness. "You can cooperate without making a fuss," he paused as Aki picked up.

"Or Justuo, Hana, and Akira will go and hunt him down." My face paled, and I could have sworn I was going to vomit. All my courage suddenly dissipated away in the face of those implications.

"No," I whispered, my flames slowly dying. "You aren't going to use me as your little pawn!"

"Go get your hunting equipment, Hana, Akira," Justuo said grimly.

"No!" I yelled, flashes of horrible images passing through my mind. I didn't know much about Akira or Hana, but I knew Justuo was a relentless monster when he wanted to be. He had nearly destroyed Lightning before, and if I hadn't stepped in, I'm almost sure Lightning would have been killed.

"Then I would cooperate," Raj commented, his grip tightening.

"Your presence is no longer necessary," Justuo said. Raj sneered before letting me go.

"I wish you luck on your endeavors," Raj said. He watched me an instant more before turning and leaving the group behind to deal with me.

I was in the doorway of the cell, watching Avalanche very closely. "What's your decision, _devinia_? Are you going to help us?" Justuo said with no hint of emotion. I opened myself up to the emotions around me and was over-whelmed with the truth. Justuo was pissed. He was really pissed. So was Aki. Now that I could feel it, though, I saw it there on their faces. Prompto wasn't even trying to keep his cool. His jaw was set, and his posture was offensive. Hana seemed emotionless on the outside, but she was pretty angry on the inside. Serein looked blank, but she truly felt stirred. She was upset about my betrayal, and there was another mix of emotions that ran deeper, but I didn't dig them up. I think she would have killed me if I had. Fayt was upset. He was a natural mediator, and he was never one to start a fight. He was also one of my favorite members of Avi.

Akira, scary, tall Akira, who towered over me by at least two feet, was giving off an unbelievably scary aura. He was so angry that I shivered. I didn't even know why he was so mad, but he was definitely mad.

I nodded in submission, forcing my emotions to remain neutral. "Then let us depart," Akira said. Instead showing uneasiness, I followed them with my head held high.

"What are you going to do with him?" I asked, hoping to sound nonchalant.

Justuo glanced at me from the head of the group. "We'll be interrogating him."

"You won't hurt him?" I asked, even though I felt disgusted with myself for caring for his safety after what he had done to Fai.

"That all depends on how much he decides to cooperate," Akira said. I turned my gaze to him. I'd never heard him speak so much in my entire time of knowing him.

"If you hurt him, I won't forgive you," I said bitterly.

"Your petty threats aren't going to sway us," Justuo said as he continued to lead the group. We surfaced onto the first floor of the castle, and I flinched at the harsh light. The smell of fresh air instead of musky air washed the heavy feeling from my lungs with each gulp that I breathed. I took a moment to find peace in the freshness.

It was soon disturbed, though. Ashu-Niisama came around the corner, and my face flushed with warmth. I looked down, ashamed to even meet his gaze. "Ash," several members of Avi said as he passed. I snuck a glance and saw Ash nod, but there was something bothering him. It was probably me, I realized. My stomach twisted in knots.

"Let's go," Justuo said, motioning the rest of us forward. A tingle in my mind told me Trace had returned.

_Kairi, we have an issue_, Trace said, and he sounded ever so slightly tense. _Lightning broke free of Master Elliot's control. He's got some guts, I'll give him that, but he's going to get his insides ripped out of him if Master Elliot finds out. He shouldn't be out and about anyway…I left him in the infirmary earlier._

The pit of my stomach knotted even more. _Oh my god, no,_ I whispered in my mind. _Do you know where he's going?_

_No, but I'm sure you do,_ Trace said.

_He can't come here!_ I nearly screamed; I almost spoke it aloud.

_Oh…I see_, Trace said, flipping through the memories he had just missed. It was easier than explaining everything to him. _Well, that will complicate things a bit._

"Kairi?" I blinked as Justuo's voice intruded my thoughts. I met his gaze, and he grabbed my shoulders. "What did he say?"

I shuddered at his uncanny intuition. He could read me well enough to know when I was talking to someone in my head. There was no point in lying at this point, though, and the inevitable was bound to happen. So I cleared my dry throat and found the right words. "You mean Trace?" I whispered, swallowing in vain.

"Yes," he replied, eyes hard.

"He said that, uh, Lightning broke off from Elliot's control today, but Elliot doesn't know yet," I muttered.

"You know where he would go?" Serein asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You all do," I replied as evenly as I could. Avalanche exchanged glances among themselves before continuing our walk. We reached outside sooner than I've ever reached it, or at least that's how it seemed to me. There was no short cut. It was psychological, I guess you could say.

"Where do you meet, usually?" Aki asked, crossing his arms.

"Anywhere I happen to wait," I said with a shrug, but my calm was faltering. I could feel the panic crawling inside me like a sleeping monster.

"Then let's get to one of the gazebos," Hana said, pointing in the general direction of the closest one. It was the one with the moon blossoms that hid by day. It was also a place Lightning and I used to meet regularly, so that would be a good spot to start.

It didn't take long to get there. I sat down in my normal spot, pulling my legs to my chest as Avalanche listed off the plan to me. By the time they had taken their places, hidden among the bushes and other plants, it was easy to let loose my tears. They were real, even though I was supposed to seem upset to Lightning anyway.

The minutes ticked by slowly, and I finally just rested my head against my knees. I enjoyed the soft breeze and gentle sun rays falling through the crevices of the white marble gazebo. It was so comforting, I could sleep. The softest of sounds from right behind me caused my head to snap up. A hand touched my shoulder, and I leapt up, nearly ready to summon Kuroyasha. I whipped around and found him, eyes dull, but blue nonetheless, bloodshot, but not tainted that awful red.

The sight of him caused my tears to return, and I couldn't help but be overcome with emotion. "Kairi," he whispered, stepping forward. I shook my head, all thoughts of Avalanche dissipating from my mind.

"You could have killed Fai!" I yelled. My emotions flared from my reach, and I was thrown into their mercy. "He's still in the infirmary! He won't wake up!"

"I know," he said, seemingly ashamed. "But you know it wasn't my fault."

"I don't care!" I snapped savagely. He flinched ever so slightly. "There had to be some part of you that wanted to hurt him! I could _see_ the bloodlust in your eyes as you thrust the Sword of The Sanctuary into him!" My shouts had turned to cries.

"Kairi, I'm so sorry," he said, moving closer. I glared at him.

"You _know_ how much he means to me! He's risked his life to take care of me!" I growled.

"Kairi, you kissed him," Lightning said, his voice suddenly becoming deadly cold. Anger forced a flush to spread over my cheeks.

"And _you_ are _betrothed_!" I screamed at him. "You're no better! You and Midnight are supposed to get married!"

"I never wanted that," he interjected, shaking his head as he did. "You had a choice whether you would kiss him or not."

"Are you admitting a part of you _did_ want to hurt him?!" I demanded, stepping closer.

"No! Elliot was in control of me," he reasoned. "I love you, Kairi. So help me Fates, why can't you see that it's Elliot that's done this? He doesn't want us together."

"Maybe we should take his warning, then," I whispered, turning to face the other direction. I heard him moving closer. He stopped close enough for me to feel the warmth he was emitting. I glanced over my shoulder to see his reaction.

"That's why I've been trying to distance myself from you," Lightning said. "I don't want to hurt you or the people you care for." I turned to face him completely.

"Then join our side," I challenged. "Fight back!"

"You know why I can't," he replied smoothly.

"We could rescue them," I continued. "Your family could have a home in Zephyr." He placed his hands on my shoulders, pulling me to him.

"I'm sorry," he whispered in my ear. I let my forehead rest on his shoulder, tears falling again.

"So am I," I breathed. I clenched him tightly. "I really am."

It was then that Avalanche took action. "Hands off my _devinia_, Bloodsucker," Justuo said his voice as venomous as a snake. Lightning, with no resistance, loosened his arms from around me. He met my gaze, and I saw betrayal flood his eyes. I shook my head in denial.

"No, it's better this way," I murmured. "At least you won't be hunted down." Avalanche members closed in, some with weapons drawn while others were just in a ready fighting stance.

"Kairi, get away from him," Fayt said, eyes watching me with the slightest bit of concern. I turned from Lightning to face one of my favorite Avalanche members.

"He won't hurt me," I said, face fierce. "I know that much."

"To the dungeon with Lightning. We'll interrogate Kairi first," Akira said. Hana and Aki grabbed Lightning's arms, thrusting them behind his back in a way that reminded me of something police officers did to their victims. He winced but did not resist.

"Don't you dare hurt him," I said just as Justuo grabbed my arm. It wasn't threatening, but as if to guide me away. "I'm sorry, Lightning." He said nothing in response, and I knew he felt betrayed. I let my head hang in shame.

"Come on, _devinia_," Justuo said, ushering me in the opposite direction. I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from complaining. He led the remainder of us to the back entrance of the castle. I assumed it was because this entrance was closer to the interrogation rooms. I'd never been to them, so I wasn't sure.

The halls were eerily quiet as we made our way through them. I wasn't very familiar with this part of the castle, only having come here with members of the Inner Circle every once in a while. Seconds turned to minutes, but it wasn't too much longer before Justuo was stopping at a door, revealing a very plain, gray room. He opened the door and pushed me in first. The rest of them followed.

A single chair sat in the middle of the room surrounded by random debris like shattered glass, splintered wood, and stones, but that's not what sent the panic skittering through my stomach. The chair was bolted to the ground, and shackles adorned the chair's arm rests and front legs. I felt the room spin a little. It didn't look like something that should be in Ashu-Niisama's castle. He wasn't really the torture type; at least I didn't think he was…Maybe I didn't know Ashu-Niisama as well as I thought I did.

Justuo closed the door behind us, flicking on a single hanging light that hung above the chair, and I refused to turn my back to any of them. Instinct told me to not let my guard down in their presence; Avi was angrier than they had ever been, at least ever since I'd known them. "Have a seat, Kairi," Justuo said, pointing to the chair. I swallowed, wishing I had a glass of water to dampen my dry throat.

"What, are you going to shackle me to a chair and torture me?" I retorted, face flushed.

"If it comes to that," Akira said, voice dry. My heart squeezed as the panic rose past the pit of my stomach.

"You can't do that," I whispered faintly. "I'm your student. And I'm Kiyo's Guardian."

"That's up for debate right now, actually," Serein said smoothly, but it didn't sound very angry or mocking. She sounded neutral. I felt the urge to start crying again, but held my breath and bit my tongue instead.

I did as they said. I sat down, automatically crossing my arms and legs when I did so I didn't touch the cold, metal shackles. There was no way, in the name of the Fates, that I would allow myself to be bound. Avalanche positioned themselves around the chair, Akira and Justuo being the closest to me. Aki and Hana came through the door, then, completing the group. I took a deep breath to calm myself before saying, "What questions do you have for me?"

"No questions yet," Aki said.

"But we do want you to understand a few things," Justuo said. "The easiest way to put this all behind us is if you tell the truth."

"I don't plan on lying," I countered.

"You sure about that?" Akira asked, moving closer. His height unsettled me even more than it usually did, and I found it hard to talk. "There are consequences for having told him something you weren't supposed to."

"I never talked about the war to him at all," I said.

"And you're telling the truth?" Prompto asked, his arms crossed.

"Yes," I replied, smoothly, and I was, as far as I remembered.

"How do we know that for sure?" Akira asked, eyes hard. "Are you aware that if you lie, then the consequences are worse than if you'd told the truth?"

"Yes," I said through clenched teeth. "Why would I lie in the first place? This is my kingdom. It's not my fault I fell in love with a deranged Vampire." I immediately felt bad for calling Lightning that, but I didn't let it show. I was too worried, too stressed to let it show.

"To save your skin? To save his?" Prompto offered.

"You do realize that if your stories don't match up, we'll have to assume someone lied?" Hana added.

"I know!" I exclaimed. "I am not going to lie."

"Then start thinking really hard, Kairi," Justuo said. "What have you told Lightning?"

"Nothing about the war," I said, earnestly. "We never talked about it much because it was always an issue with our relationship."

"So you only talked about it some?" Akira implied.

"No," I rejected, but he cut me off.

"You said that you never talked about it much, not that you never talked about it at all," he pointed out. My face flushed in frustration.

"Quit trying to get in my head and turn my words against me!" I hissed.

"Maybe we should get a little more incentive for the truth," Akira said, motioning to Serein and Fayt. The two nodded, but I could sense Fayt's reluctance to have any part of this. They left the room briefly only to return with a third person. My heart seemed to stop for several moments as they led Lightning into the room, arms tied tightly behind his back. Justuo took Fayt's place at his side, and Fayt returned to the wall he had been leaned against before. They must've not taken him all the way to the dungeon, then. There was no way Fayt and Serein could have retrieved him so quickly.

In other words, they were planning on having him here during my interrogation.

"No," I said with as much conviction as I could force into my words.

"He doesn't have to suffer," Serein said calmly. "Just tell us the truth, _devinia_."

"I will! Just leave him out of this!" I said. Any calm that I had left quickly dwindled.

"Kairi, I'll be fine," Lightning said gruffly, but he seemed weaker than before. "Just answer whatever it is they have to ask. We have nothing to hide at this point."

"Quiet, leech," Justuo warned, purple-blue fire gracing his fingertips. He was using an in between level of fire, hotter than usual.

"Justuo, no!" I yelled, standing. Akira shoved me back down just as quickly.

"Cooperate, Guardian," he snapped, his voice sounding more like a growl than a voice.

"Let. Lightning. Go," I whispered through clenched teeth.

"Answer truthfully," Aki said with a shrug.

"I have! The only thing we ever talked about was the fact that Ash was keeping us from knowing what was really going on in the war! It's why I knew before the others! Lightning told me!" I said, tears beginning to fill my eyes like before.

"And that's all?" Justuo asked, hand moving too close to Lightning for my comfort.

"Yes! And Guardian Haru! That's it!" I cried out. "But it's not like Lightning didn't know he was dead already!"

"Is that the way of it, Bloodsucker?" Justuo asked Lightning. He didn't speak at first, and to my horror, Justuo placed his fully fire-engulfed hang on Lightning's shoulder.

"Stop!" I called just as Lightning began to scream. I jerked forward to stand again, but Akira shoved my shoulder back against the chair, snapping my right wrist into the shackle. "Justuo, stop it!" I yelled. He pulled his hand back, revealing a hole in Lightning's jacket and shirt. Beneath, I could see the reddened, bloody flesh that was singed by Justuo's fire. With heavy breath, Lightning spoke.

"Yes, that's correct. Why would she lie?"

"Who knows?" he asked. "Maybe you compelled her. We're all a little bit in the dark here."

"I would never do such a thing," he snapped, meeting his gaze though he must've been in pain. I waited for the burns to begin to heal.

"We'll see," he said. "It's not quite your turn yet."

"Please leave him alone, _elbrii_," I cried. I bent down as far as I could without breaking my bound wrist until I reached a shard of glass.

"Hey!" Akira snapped, but I grasped it tightly in my hand, feeling it cut into my palm. I barely winced. It clattered the ground, the edge bloodied.

"I will swear a blood oath to tell the truth if you just stop this!" I begged.

Everyone paused. Ribbons of my blood fell to the floor. _Drip. Drip. Drip._ Lightning's eyes involuntarily turned red at the sight of my blood. "How despicable," Justuo muttered towards Lightning. His words from the battle echoed through my head; _Your blood…is the only thing that can help me now, don't you see? I can't drink from anybody except you, love. _He _won't_ let _me._ Lightning must have been starving if that was the truth.

"Just let him go and ask her the questions, _havjetuu._" It was Fayt that spoke up. His face was calm, but his emotions told another story. He didn't enjoy seeing my blood spilt, whether it was by my hand or not.

"He's right," Serein agreed. "If she is willing to go so far as to make a blood promise to a Feavii, then I believe she will tell the truth."

"Very well, then," Justuo said, the fire dying from his fingertips. "Take him to the other room across the hall. We'll interrogate him after we've finished with Kairi."

Prompto and Hana took Lightning from the room, but not before I realized his wound had not healed. Something was preventing him from healing properly, but Justuo entered my gaze that trailed after Lightning. My palm stung, but I didn't complain.

"He'll heal once he's out of the interrogation rooms," Fayt explained, noticing my tension. "They have certain spells casted upon them to keep rapid healing at bay." I met his gaze, hoping he saw that I was grateful for the tidbit of information.

"Let's start with what you _did_ tell him," Justuo said. I took a shaky breath before nodding.

"We've never been the type to talk about the war. The only reason that we even spoke about it in the first place was because I asked him about it. I asked him how the war was because I started getting suspicious. Nothing had happened in so long, and no one had mentioned the war around here," I whispered. "He told me that both sides had lost big leaders, and it was still raging."

"Is that all?" Aki asked, crossing his arms.

"Well…" I began. "There was this one time where he told me Elliot had told everyone in The Sanctuary I was dead, but he and some of his henchmen still acted like I was alive. Like when Raven, Echo, and the others attacked us in the castle, they all knew I was alive and expected me. We tried to figure out his motivation for this, but we never could. So we just let it be. I'm not so sure it still stands that way anymore." Avalanche seemed to take a moment to consider this, and I guessed they were conversing in their heads about the strangeness. Serein spoke after a little while.

"So you told him of Yami and Mizu's arrival as well?" Serein asked. I nodded. Another silence passed before she spoke again. "You both acted like boyfriend and girlfriend, correct?" Serein pointed out. "Would you not share more information than just that?"

"Of course!" I replied. "We told each other about our days, normal things like Guardian Training and how my friends were. I told him what I was going to dress up for Halloween, even."

"What did you tell him about the queen?" Akira asked, eyes unnerving.

"Nothing really. He knew I was her Guardian and that we were friends already, but he never asked anything on the subject. He was always just so interested in me, not my friends," I murmured, remembering the days when he'd take me in his arms and ask me about my day.

"Did he ever ask you anything about your kingdom?" Hana said. I jumped, not having realized she and Prompto had returned.

"No," I replied, shaking my head. I clenched my pulsating palm tightly, hoping to keep it from continuously bleeding.

"You say you guys talked about normal things?" Prompto asked, which was chilling due to the fact that I distinctly remember him not being in the room while I said that. "What kind of things?"

"Well, I told him about the Christmas Ball," I said, thinking back. "I told him that I wished he could come with me."

"And why is it that you or your friends couldn't tell your king that you loved this Vampire?" Hana asked, her arms resting across her chest loosely.

"I told them that I wanted to be the one to do it," I muttered. "I didn't want them to have to know, or to take the blame anyway. It was my wrong doing, not theirs. I didn't want anything bad to happen to them."

"I understand your concern, but they are nearly as guilty as you," Serein reasoned.

"No!" I said quickly. "They were just trying to be good friends. I was supposed to protect them, but in the end, it seems to be the other way around. I don't want them to be held responsible for any of my crimes." Justuo watched me carefully, and finally continued.

"But why would you not tell anyone, even though you said so many times that you would?"

"I didn't want to lose Lightning," I said. "Which in the end, it doesn't really matter anyway." I let a humorless laugh fill the air. "I already lost him a while ago. I was a fool to not go to Ashu-Niisama in the first place."

"That's what any normal Guardian with a head on her shoulders would have done," Akira muttered. I winced at that.

"What other normal things did you tell him?" Justuo said, but there was a hidden edge to his words. "Particularly things about Kiyo, if you will."

"Well, during their trip around the Paranormal World, I would tell him how much I really missed Kiyo," I said with a shrug.

"You what?!" Akira demanded. I flinched back as far as I could go. "You told him about their trip?"

"Yeah…I guess I did," I said guiltily letting my head fall in shame. "I didn't think anything of it."

"At least nothing happened," Fayt said, keeping his calm composure.

"That doesn't make it right!" Justuo said in disgust. "You could've jeopardized the whole kingdom!" A flush of Darkness caressed me, and I shivered.

"But he didn't tell anyone!" I urged, hoping to keep him calm. I did not want any Darkness near me, not while I was in the emotional state that I was in. It was hard to keep from screaming and crying when I was emotionally stable, in Guardian mode when he used Darkness, but it was even harder as pathetic, traitor Kairi.

"It could have been worse, Justuo," Serein reasoned. "Peace, _havjetuu._" He turned away from me for a moment, putting several feet between the two of us. The cool reaches of Darkness retreated with him. He took several deep breaths before finally coming back to my side.

"What's done is done, and no harm was inflicted. The past is the past," he sighed. "That will piss a lot of the Inner Circle off, though, so be warned."

I nodded. "I'm sorry," I whispered.

"There is no one here that you must apologize to," Justuo said. I squeezed my eyes shut in remorse.

"I know." I let the silence fill my ears. I could hear the members of Avalanche breathing, and every so often, I'd hear them shift their weight. I finally sighed, opening my eyes as I did. "Anything else you have to ask?"

"I think that'll be enough for now," Justuo said. He and Fayt were looking at one another, and I had a feeling they had been conversing through their mind connections. I felt relief flood through me. Akira unclipped the shackle binding on wrist. Almost immediately, there was a noise at the entrance of the room.

The door opened and my eyes went to the newcomer. My heart clenched tightly as Ashu-Niisama walked into the room. He shut the door behind him before making his way to me.

"Is everything finished, then?" he asked.

"Of course," Justuo said. "We're done here."

"Good," Ash replied with a nod. "I'll take her back to the dungeon."

"We'll move to Lightning's interrogation next," Akira said.

"We'll begin with your permission," Serein said.

"Do what you have to," Ash said.

"Don't hurt him, please," I murmured. No one replied to my comment. I stood and followed Ash out of the room. We didn't speak any on our way through the castle halls.

Ash led me to the dungeon, and the same foreboding feeling that consumed me the first time I was taken to the dungeon struck me. He stopped outside my cell, still saying nothing. The silence hurt worse than a million words, a million wounds, a million tears.

"Allow me to heal your palm," he said softly after a moment. I blinked, having nearly forgotten the wound in all the commotion rumbling through my mind. With a small nod, I held my hand out, letting him take my hand in his. He enclosed it in his fingers, and I felt the familiar tingling warmth that came with someone healing you. When he released my hand, a thin pink scar adorned my palm. I wiped the half-dried blood that was left onto my jeans.

"Thank you," I managed. He didn't say anything else. I looked down, guilt crawling through my stomach like ice frosting grass in the winter mornings. Finally, in a broken whisper, I said, "Ashu-Niisama, I am so sorry…"

He shook his head. "Don't give me that, Kairi," he said. "You aren't sorry for falling in love." Another little hiccup of sobs came from my mouth. And then, he hugged me. Shock consumed me, but I let my gaze fall to the ground as my forehead pressed against his shirt.

"Are you going to search my mind?" I cried, breaking farther into the cries of defeat. He pulled back, letting his hands drop.

"There's no need to," Ash said.

"Why not?" I managed, wiping fiercely at the tears leaking down my cheeks. He turned from me a moment before letting out a frustrated noise.

"Do you think me dumb, Kairi? Do you really think that I, the King of the Paranormal World, would not feel his presence in the Gardens, so close to the castle? I knew the whole time. From the very first time he recognized you at Elliot's castle, to the first time he came to you in the Gardens; I knew you meant something to him or you wouldn't have last as long as you had.

"I was going to kill him the first time he was in the grounds, but you were there. And he wasn't attacking you, but he was talking. I listened. I watched. When you hugged him, I could have sworn you were done for, but he did nothing. It was a peculiar thing.

"At first, I thought he was here for information. But I watched you both grow closer. I watched Yomi learn. I consulted with Thunder, his brother, and we agreed to watch you both. To make sure no harm came to you. We waited and we watched carefully, even compensating for you sometimes. When you asked to leave for "fresh air" I knew you were sneaking off to see him.

"When he had the audacity to risk it all and bring you home after drinking your blood to save your life, I knew there was something sincere about his actions. I continued to watch and waited as the number of people who knew grew, Kairi. I waited for the moment you would come and confide in me, your king, your _brother_, but you never did. It would have been much easier to deal with."

The room quieted, and my face was flushed red and hot. Ash looked at me as if he was searching for an answer to a question he didn't know the explanation to. I cast my gaze to the floor again, feeling unworthy to be in his presence. "I'm such a fool," I whispered. I snuck a glance at his face just in time for him to meet my gaze once more. It took a lot to hold it steadily.

"You didn't have to keep so much to yourself. You aren't alone in this world, Kairi," Ash said softly. I bit my lip as another wave of tears rolled down my face. After several more moments of the ringing silence, he continued. "I'll send someone down with a meal in a while. I have to deal with the crazed Inner Circle. And with Lightning."

I grabbed his arm suddenly, surprising us both. "Ash, please don't hurt him!" I begged. He eyes scanned me, and he said nothing. He guided me back to my cell, almost gently

"Until this can be sorted out, you'll have to stay here." He closed the barred door, leaving me in the hollow, cold room. He retreated to the warmth of the castle and life above. I slowly sank to the ground, already feeling cold.

The days that followed were horrible. I was given three meals a day, of course, so I was taken care of. Mpopyya got to visit sometimes, too, but no longer than ten or fifteen minutes at a time. They would bring news from the world outside of the dungeon, telling me how the inner circle planned to deal with me and giving me reassuring comments about Fai's health. He still hadn't woken up, and apparently he had been put on life supportive devices. There was an impending gloom that filled me whenever I imagined my poor savior so weakened.

On the third day, an unexpected visitor appeared before my cell. Justuo stood there, his hair messily placed, giving him a tired, restless look. I could tell he was exhausted by just glancing at his weary eyes. I felt sympathy in his aura, but he showed a neutral expression.

"_Evange devinia_," he said casually, but it was softer than usual. I assumed it was some form of greeting, so I replied as such.

"Hi," I mumbled.

"How are you holding up?" I forced myself to stand from the cold bench that served as my bed. My legs wobbled with weakness due to being cooped up for so long.

"This is so awful," I whispered.

"I know, but it's alright. You have to keep your head on your shoulders." I shrugged, looking off into the distance like I usually did down here. "I want to show you something," he said after a little while. I glanced at him, really focusing on his face as I had before.

"What is it?" I wondered.

"It's a memory," he said. "It happened a long time ago, but I want you to see it."

I nodded slowly. "You want me to see your memory?" I asked critically. "How?"

"Come into my mind, Kairi, and I will show it to you." I pursed my lips, a bit unsure. It was very unlike Justuo to allow anyone in his head. Nonetheless, I willed my mind to reach out to his.

"You're sure?" I asked just as I prepared to breach the wall.

"Yes, completely." I took a slow breath, deep into my lungs before letting it go. I then allowed my mind to slip into his. He offered little resistance, and soon, a memory consumed me. A horrifying feeling flooded over my conscious, but I refused to pull away.

There was complete and total darkness. It was cold and damp, but my sight was gone. I smelled water, sweat, and if it's even possible, fear. I heard shuffling, and I felt a cold, stone surface beneath my legs and against my back. It was obvious that I was sitting on stone floor of some sort.

There was no way to tell except for the thoughts that came to mind, the words that left my mouth without permission. "You're new here," I said, but it was Justuo's voice, though much younger and boyish.

"Where am I?!" It was a female voice that answered, which surprised me. But not the memory of Justuo. He was used to this kind of thing. He expected the unexpected here.

"It's called Isolation…It's one of their methods of torture, but it eases us into using Darkness." His voice sounded slightly bitter at the mention of "them" whoever they were.

"I want to go home," the girl cried. She sounded young, but Justuo said nothing about her age. It was best not to get attached to anyone here.

"I've been here for four days at least," Justuo said. "I don't think you'll be going home any time soon." The girl cried out again. "It's not so bad after a while," he continued. "Sometimes I can act like I'm sleeping. Like none of this is real. I listen to everything, I feel everything I can. I let myself become one with the darkness, and sometimes, it's not so bad. You have to dream to stay alive here."

Justuo's head lifted as though he knew where the girl's cell was located, but he heard the direction by her rapid, frightened breaths. "Without dreams, you will slowly lose your head in this place. Keep your head on your shoulders and your eyes shut."

"But I…I can't see any way! How can I stay this way?! I didn't even do anything that terrible!"

Listening to the girl, Justuo knew she wouldn't last too long at this rate. But still, he tried. "If you close your eyes, it will feel like sleeping. It's having your eyes open and expecting the light when we are only answered with darkness. That's what drives us mad here."

"I…I can't…!" she began.

"But you _can_," Justuo pushed. She was silent for a little bit with the exception of her sobs.

"Who are you?" she finally asked.

"Justuo," he replied after a long hesitation. I was pulled from the memory slamming into my own mind and conscious. My eyes focused on Justuo's distant ones. I gasped as I processed what I'd just seen. Unexpected tears trickled down my face.

"What…who did that to you!?" I demanded, angry and terrified at the same time.

"It doesn't matter," he said. "That's what I went through."

"Justuo that's so terrible…" I whispered. "I'm-," I began but he cut me off.

"Don't apologize. Instead, make me a promise." Justuo stopped and I nodded in assurance. "You put your head on right. Hold on for a little while longer down here." I nodded again. "Act like it's all a dream. Pretend you aren't awake. Close your eyes, if it helps."

"I will," I said. "But you have to tell me what happened to you one day." His eyes looked amused, but he didn't show it on his face.

"One day, I will tell all of Mpopyya everything."

"Good," I said. A question came to mind, then. What had happened to the girl he was helping? Had she lost her mind? Cried to death? Did she suffer much? What was her name? I looked at Justuo.

"_Elbrii_?" I asked. "What happened to her?"

"She was killed three days later because she was going insane. The other prisoners in Isolation tried to calm her, too, but none of us prevailed."

"How sad," I whispered.

"It happened often in there. But it doesn't matter. Keep your head up, kid," he said, ruffling my hair through the bars. "Shouldn't be too much longer."

"I've got to help this crap blow over," Justuo said with an annoyed sigh. "Catch you later, Kairi."

"_Elbrii_?" I called. He glanced back. "What about Lightning?" I asked.

"Ash can tell you," he said with a real smile. His smile, for some crazy reason, gave me hope.

"Alright then," I said. He disappeared from the dungeon, and I plopped back down on the iron bench. I closed my eyes like Justuo had told the nameless girl. I didn't resist relaxation. I opened my senses, and let my imagination run away with them.

**And that's the next one! What do you think of Avalanche now? We're slowly getting to the end here. Thanks for staying so true and supporting me through all my writer's blocks! The next chapter will be here soon!**


End file.
